


Embers Underwater

by Lonliest_muffin



Series: Igniting Embers [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Adult Arcobaleno (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Gen, Immortal Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), M/M, Mental Instability, Minor Original Character(s), One-Sided Attraction, Out of Character Hibari Kyouya, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reconciliation, Recovery, Skull is so strong for being such a sweetheart after all the bs he endures, Verbal Abuse, You can't change my mind, gonna make Kyoya protect this precious Cinnamon Roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 47,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26075839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonliest_muffin/pseuds/Lonliest_muffin
Summary: Skull wants to make amends with family.Kyoya didn't know he still has family.
Relationships: Arcobaleno & Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), EVERYONE loves Skull, Hibari Kyouya & Skull, Hibari Kyouya/Sasagawa Ryouhei, Reborn/Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)
Series: Igniting Embers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922008
Comments: 297
Kudos: 643





	1. A Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Skull is a frustrated little angel. 🥺😇 Blessed.

He waited for just the right moment, when nobody would notice him slipping away for good.  
It was a calm day, sunny and beautiful, with fluffy white Clouds doting the sky here and there. Wonderful. It wasn't unusually peaceful. Even better. And above all, he had just been given a mission that would take him outside the compound. Perfect.  
His plan set in motion, he pulled on the tiny black boots he was given, preparing for his final departure.  
Don't get him wrong, he loves his family and his loyalties definitely lie within the Clan, but for fuck's sake could they get off his case for one damn moment?? Just so maybe he could try to catch a fucking breath?! 

Yes, he'd failed to harmonize or even bond with the idiotic elements he was thrown together with.  
Yes, his almost sky had died and it was something tragic and oh so dramatic.  
And sure, he was chosen and had been forced under this disgusting curse that turned him back into a two tear old.  
But, pray tell, where the fuck did any of that give them the right to treat him like some unknowing child?! Where do they get off, giving him pitying and sympathetic looks as if they weren't the very reason he was this much of a damn failure?! How dare they even try to ignore the years of torment he'd suffered under their 'training' that did absolutely nothing to help him in the end!? 

He took a deep, shuddering breath, straightening out as much as his current body allowed and testing the durability of the clothing he was given for today's mission. The cheap, black leather squeaked under even the simplest stretch he preformed, but it'd have to do for now. Not that he won't immediately switch it out for something better the moment he'd able to do so.  
He remembered it so clearly still. Back when he first returned some odd months ago, they'd taken one look at his chosen outfit and burned the pretty purple leather with disdain in their eyes. Bastards, the lot of em. 

He pulled open the door, just as little footsteps thumbed quietly towards him. There was only one member of the household there at the time that did not yet fully master the quiet gracefulness their clan was so well known for. He turned around, his rage simmering down the moment he caught sight of curious, doe-like, grey eyes. The little boy that stood before him, barely three years old at the time, was clutching a stuffed toy to his chest, looking at him over top of the purple bunny he himself had gifted the boy not too long ago.  
For a child his age, his pronunciation of words was impressive and the childish lisp to his words soothed his rage into nonexistence. "Oniichan are you leaving?" 

He could only sigh a tiny bit, giving the adorable child a placating smile. "Yeah. But don't worry, I'll be back soon~"  
The boy briefly snuggled into his stuffed bunny, peeking up at him from under his bangs. "Liar. You're leaving. For a long time. I can tell."  
There was truth in those words he couldn't refute, so he didn't try. But the child wasn't done talking yet. Did he have to sound so sad about it? "Is it because Oniichan wants to find home..?"  
He gave the boy a ditzy smile, making the little one pout at him, but it was a natural reaction at this point. Any mention of home, some fictional place or person he could belong with, soured his mood, no matter the situation. "Don't be silly, we're already home, aren't we~?" 

The boy finally lowered the stuffed toy, clutching it to his stomach now and giving him the most scalding glare any chubby faced three year old could manage. "Oniichan!"  
The exclamation seemed to take all the bravery out of the child, hunching into his tiny, tiny self and clinging onto his toy with desperation.  
He was once again reminded of the training any member of the clan goes through from the moment of their birth. If he remembers correctly, which could be unlikely, this boy was currently being put through training for etiquette and manners. No wonder the child almost suffered from selective mutism before he'd taken to talking to the boy on a daily basis. It wasn't unlikely that the boy was in the process of being traumatized for life. He himself could sing a fucking song about that. 

Admittedly, the little whine the boy let loose was way too cute. "Don't be a dumdum..."  
He gasped in a poor mockery of shock. "I am not a dumdum! That's so mean~"  
The child wiggled in place in what was likely frustration, burying his face in his stuffed toy, before looking at him as imploringly as any child would ever be able to. "Oniichan, I get it already-"  
The tiny voice cracked on the rising volume and a quiet whine left the child, glancing around in mild paranoia. He could relate. "I get it. Home is home for me. Its not for you, right?"  
Again, there was truth in that he just couldn't refute, so he smiled sadly instead. "No. It isn't, I suppose..." 

The child looked down at the purple stuffed bunny, crinkling his little forehead as he thought hard. It was so cute. The grey eyes held the smallest spark of purple in them when the boy looked at him again, speaking softly, with a forceful conviction. "Oniichan, promise you'll go find a place that's home for you..."  
At that, his smile turned bitter, somber. "Now now, Kyo-kun. Home is not a place to me. It's suppose to be a person..."  
Hibari Kyoya wiggled in place again, grumbling briefly, before stomping his little foot quietly, stressing his words without raising his voice. "Then find that person-please promise-" 

He gave Kyoya one of his more sincere smiles, something in him fracturing over the simple fact that he could not make this sweet boy his territory. It would've been detrimental to Kyoya's already fragile mental health... But he was able to give the child that promise at the time. Apparently, all hope was not yet crushed in the very core of his soul. "I promise I'll find someone nice to be my home. Now... Go back to playing, please? I need to go, ne..."  
Tiny Kyoya shuffled around a little, nodding a tiny bit, and following him out the door nevertheless once he stepped outside. 

He turned and gave the child a flat look and Kyoya gave him a huffy pout in response." I will miss you, Oniichan. "  
At that he just had to smile once more. It was genuinely sweet after all. "Aw. I'll miss you too, Kyo-kun. Now... Off you go."  
The tiny child nodded a bit, throwing one, longing glance to the gates, before shuffling back into the beautiful cage they were both raised in.  
He held his gaze on the mansion for a moment longer, sighing faintly, then turning and leaving with little more than the shirt on his back and his animal companion waiting for him some kilometers away from the compound. He would not return anytime soon if he could help it. 

After all, Skull was a Cloud. Always had been and always would be, even if people like to just slap the adjective inverted on him to dismiss his flame outright.  
And while family would be nice...  
This particular one would just hold him back long term. Much in the same way his found family had turned out to be a restrictive and abusive disappointment, his birth family wasn't much better.  
He would find a home eventually, he had promised after all.  
He made another promise, to himself, that the next time he'd encounter Kyo-kun out there, he would be in a happier, healthier place. 

Except he never ended up finding home.  
And he wouldn't be any better by the time they'd meet again.  
And then, Hibari Kyoya would not even recognize him and the last little flickers of hope in his soul would die, like embers doused in frigid water.


	2. Skull the Little Animal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull is a little animal in a big body and Kyoya refuses to stay down, even if he is confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Cloudy bois are dealing with emotional fallout for now~

It took roughly a month for Verde's serum to finish growing them back to their former adult forms. A month in which they stayed in that mansion, together. Of course, after such a long absence, they would be welcomed back with a celebration of epic proportions, courtesy of an over excited Vongola Decimo.  
Skull had other worries, honestly. The party was nice and all, the food looked delicious and he would've loved to go chit chat with one of the more sane party participants. But... Hibari Kyoya was attending as well.   
And, as per usual, the moment Skull registered the aloof Vongola Cloud's presence, all that remains of his meager focus is drawn to the 17 year old. 

He is not staring because of the young man's handsome looks, or his frightening battle prowess, no. The only reason Skull can't seem to tear his eyes away from him, is because... Well, they have history. And Kyoya might not know it yet, but they have things to discuss. Skull has explanations the young Cloud deserves to hear.  
So, gathering what's left of his courage, Skull approaches the stronger Cloud in what could be seen as a rather bold move. Kyoya's grey eyes snap to him immediately, registering him as a hostile threat perhaps, and Skull has to swallow around the lump in his throat. Being on the receiving end of that glare still burns something in his guts... But he powers through that sensation, standing before the frightening man then and avoiding eye contact, just so he doesn't lose his nerve. 

First things first... Skull unlatches the velcro of his left glove, pulling it off his skin smoothly and tugging up his sleeve. The motion reveals grey scar tissue wrapped around the pale white of his wrist. Because restraining him was the only way that cursed Clan would deal with his frequent bouts of rage.  
Even in his infantile body, these scars and bruises had not faded. Had he raged back when he was two? Or had that clan simply abused him ever since he was born? These scars were a constant reminder of what would await him should he ever give into the tempting simmer of his rage again. It's always been a pretty effective deterrent. 

He presents those scars to the other Cloud in the next moment, before he could change his mind and back out of it. He finally has his body back. He feels he's finally able to do something about this.   
And the minute confusion, followed by surprise on Kyoya's face speaks volumes. He clearly understands the message Skull is unable to verbalize. Because only one person in the world would show Kyoya scars like this in a context this odd and abrupt.   
He probably also understands the implications behind it. Kyoya scowls then, glaring at him as if Skull's existence is a great offense.   
That's why Skull loses his nerves, pulling his sleeve back down and giving a faint, near hysterical giggle. "Nevermind. I'll just-" 

But Kyoya cuts him of, rather brusquely, even. "You could have said something sooner."   
Skull deflates a little, the deep set uncertainty leaving his bones as he takes in the microscopic shifts in Kyoya's expression. That is not rage, it's just anger with a tinge of disappointment and sorrow. "I... Could have. Would you have believed me?"   
Kyoya dismisses him with a wave, using the same movement to grab his hand and start to drag him along. Skull goes willingly, although he does stumble a little. Kyoya still sounds... Oddly upset. "You could have tried."   
Skull has no retort for that, sighing faintly and looking at where their hands were linked instead. 

It's to their benefit that Kyoya has been standing so far away from the main festivities, like a weirdo. Like this at least, nobody pays them much mind when Kyoya drags him over to a car and shoves him into it. The raven Cloud keeps shoving until Skull moves over into another seat, then the man sits next to him and the stone-faced chauffeur starts the engine, driving away calmly. Skull can almost feel how the stress creeps back into his being. "Where are you taking me..?"   
Kyoya let's out a low, long breath besides him, not quite a sigh, but close, as he looks out of the window. "I'm taking my brother someplace safe. That's all." 

Skull feels himself flush slightly at being called that, because... It's nice. Obviously, they will fight about this for ages to come. But being acknowledged by the other without the constant threatening was... Soothing. Soothing enough to give him the courage to find his words. "I'm... I'm sorry, look, I-"   
But Kyoya cuts him off again, by raising a hand this time. "Be quiet. I need to think."  
So Skull obediently snaps his mouth shut and cringes in the next moment.

Following commands without a second thought... Enduring endless abuse, verbal and otherwise... Never once even speaking up to defend himself from a place of sincerity... That's how low he had fallen.

Shameful. Weak. Worthless. An utter failure of a Cloud. 

Skull doesn't notice that he's trembling right up until Kyoya speaks again, his voice quieter, his eyes softer with... Not pity, but something similar. Sympathy, perhaps. "That was... Out of line, I believe. Sorry."  
Skull simply takes a deep breath, unclenching his hands and letting his eyes trail over the scarring around his wrist. He can still feel the nervous flickering of panic in his system, but Kyoya's voice is quite soothing, even after all these years. "It's... Fine..."   
Kyoya is still looking at him warily, so Skull gives his little brother the best smile he could manage.

He already feels the hot pinpricks behind his eyes, but he's gotten quite skilled at suppressing tears in the last few decades.   
Even so, Skull can't seem to fool Kyoya, as his brother simply hands him a silk handkerchief and looks back out the window. A polite gesture, giving Skull the illusion of privacy if he so decides to give voice to his grief.   
Skull doesn't, but he appreciates the gesture nonetheless.   
The rest of the car ride is quick and silent, not all that unusual, considering the personality of the aloof Cloud. Skul still feels as if someone had clawed his lungs out of his chest and left him with raw, open wounds. And Kyoya's silence is pouring salt and lemon juice into those wounds. 

Then, they reach a strange mansion and the car parks outside it. This is not the compound Skull had grown up in. Instead it's a quaint little place at the edge of Namimori, resting just there, between the shrine and the entrance to Namimori's forest.   
No heavily guarded iron gates, no impossibly high electric fences. The gates open with a quiet hum at the press of a button and the walls surrounding the gorgeous gardens seem to be there more so for privacy's sake, rather than to keep people outside or inside.   
This place is so unlike the caging mansions Skull is used to, he ends up just giggling a small bit. How dare this place feel anything like... Safety and security in this fucked up world....

Kyoya gives him a very tiny, pouty frown, grabbing his hand again and dragging him out of the car and into the peaceful mansion. That's when it sinks it that this place feels so secure because it is absolutely doused in peaceful Cloud flames. Kyoya's Cloud flame in fact.   
Kyoya has actually gone and dragged Skull into the very epicenter of his territory. This mansion is a sanctuary Kyoya had forged from the ground up with his own bare hands. A place that is his in every single sense of the word. His to own, His to command, His to choose and His to destroy.   
That is why it feels like there is a powerful, violent maelstrom, simmering just below the earth, flickering with bloodlust and a steady undercurrent of irritation. 

Skull can't quite catch his breath. The simple fact that he is permitted in someone else's territory, in their sanctuary, hasn't just left him speechless. It has awoken something within him, his flames twisting around to comfort a soft and sad part of his soul that's just weeping and whimpering at this... Honor he was just given.   
And then Kyoya drags him into the building and straight to some kind of kitchen. Here, Kyoya's flame feels the most alive and active, and even Skull can easily deduce that this room, this 5x10 meter square room with it's modern appliances, it's chic, black designs and the wide, open windows, is what Kyoya would call His outright. Skull is also fairly sure that he is the first human being to ever set foot here aside from the Cloud this space belongs to. 

And describing what Skull feels in that moment is one hell of a Rollercoaster. First of, Kyoya's flames are just as sweet as they used to be. Brushing up against him with reluctance instead of hesitancy, recognizing him for who he is and blossoming under the realization.   
Skull gets first row seats to see this maelstrom of a flame switch from hostile eradication mode, over to being playful and content and tiny. Not tiny in the sense of it somehow reducing its massive volume, but tiny in the sense of... Feeling distinctly child-like and curios. Affectionate and shameless in a way that is somehow refreshing.

The way it reacts to Skull's own broken flame is also new. Unlike a certain set of flames that wither stick like glue and dull his senses, or shove him around like some cheap toy, Kyoya's Cloud flame clings with the determination of a joyful child, sticky like caramel, bothersome, but not unwelcomed. A messy, sweet treat.   
And really, Skull just straight up bursts into tears at that, going all out with the pathetic sniffling and harsh sobbing.  
And it's kind of comical, because Kyoya so obviously doesn't know what to do with him. Cause the young Cloud straight up leaves him at the dining table there and just starts to fucking cook up a storm like that'd help. And it somehow does, because seeing that kind of reaction from the number one most violent person Skill knows just kind of makes him... Laugh through his tears.

By the time Kyoya finishes whatever he was cooking, in a record time of 20 minutes, Skull is a blubbering mess, choking on hysterical laughter between guttural sobs. Kyoya hasn't commented on his pathetic wailing yet, remaining awkwardly silent as he puts a bowl in front of him and takes a seat on the table opposite to him.   
Skull analyzes the bowl's contents through his teary haze once he's calmed down some more. He sniffles harshly, whining a little when harsh stinging starts up behind his eyes. Dehydration, great... "Fried rice..?"

Kyoya actually mumbles and that has no business being so damn endearing. "Yeah. It's quick to make. Eat up."   
And this time, Skull chooses to eat, not because it's somewhat like a command, but because that is the right thing to do when you're in someone else's space and they serve you food.   
It's delicious and he tells Kyoiya as much through a fresh wave of tears. Kyoya just gives him a tired, exasperated look, grabbing a big pitcher from a cupboard and filling that baby all the way up with water and ice cubes.   
Kyoya puts this two and a half liter monstrosity in front of Skull and that is how the rest of they day goes. 

Skull does in fact collapse after attempting to get up after their thorough, shared dinner. And Kyoya really doesn't know what the fuck to do anymore at that point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should the next chapter be some domestic bliss or just straight into Clan/Arcobaleno business?


	3. Nightmares and Communal Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull is suffering. Then it's not so bad anymore.  
> Kyoya realizes some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to updated this at least once every two weeks. Thank you for your patience!

Night time has not been pleasant for Skull in so long, that he has already completely forgotten what it is like to have a good night's sleep at this point.  
Whether it's insomnia keeping him awake, his nightmares chasing him into the darkest depths of his mind only to startle him awake, or just a rough awakening, be it by Leon!Hammer, or falling out of bed from wiggling around so much, Skull just can't seem to sleep through a full night...  
Then he went and collapsed of exhaustion on Hibari Kyoya's kitchen floor. Only this time, he stayed asleep. That is not a good thing exactly. Because being asleep means nightmares. 

And opening his eyes to come face to face with an entire audience of people booing a stunt performance, is not the most pleasant start to any situation, dream or otherwise. It feels a little as if someone just reached into some gaping wound on his chest to squeeze their hands around his lungs, forcing the breath out of him and bringing tears to his eyes promptly.  
Skull doesn't cry however, not really at least. The tears sting his eyes, but they do not fall.  
Sure, watching the one life he's wanted to build for himself, the one source of recognition he thought he's earned, burn in front of his own eyes is torture, but it isn't as if this is the first time he burned.

Just then, the scenery changes, his vision blurring and shifting.  
Somehow, it manages to sound like bones creaking and snapping in the distance, echoing in an oddly loud manner inside his head.  
Skull finds himself in the bedroom he'd grown up in when his vision finally clears up a bit.  
Really though, this barren, empty place shouldn't ever be called his, as it held no trace of him. There were none of his favorite posters on the walls, none of his trinkets strewn about, not a sign of being lived in present anywhere, except the messy futon.

Skull looks around, crining at the reminder of some of the darkest times he had lived through yet. Becoming an active Cloud at the age of 4 has more drawbacks than benefits, really. Especially in an environment that doesn't understand how anxious Clouds function.  
A voice echoes from somewhere just then, and Skull knows it's the voice of his mother. It still sounds as dull and lifeless as ever. It still fills his mind with nothing but aimless stress and anger.

"Beauty means suffering, darling." He never wanted any of this.  
"Look at you, you're simply gorgeous..." Back then he'd still begged them to stop.  
"Your pretty purple hair, your beautiful purple eyes..." They never saw him. He didn't want them to look anymore.  
"Of course, how could I forget your stunning flame?" It was disgusting.  
"This flame is the most beautiful thing you have to offer to this world." It still hurts.  
"Without it, you would be worthless to us. Do you understand, my dear?" He hated it.  
"Now, don't cry. If you calm down, you will be able to control it, I'm sure." He hates them.  
"Sweetie?" They needed to burn.

And as commanded, Skull's flames had flared the night he raged for the first time. And it roared many of the countless nights that followed. But the first time, he had killed that woman.  
Because His had always been a flame that flared with his agony, that grew under his hatred, that flourished in his darkest moments. And the Clan he had loved and been loyal to knew that. They learned of this flaw in their system and instead of correcting it, they tried to use it to train him. 

So these bastards actually let him meet people back then. They knowingly let him grow closer to outsiders. They let him forge relationships through sweat, blood and tears, only to snatch that person, those beautiful souls, away from him, just to torture them to death.  
All in a vain hope that it would ingnite his rage and they could try to have him control that overwhelming power. 

Acquaintances, friends, puppy crushes even. Never quite territory, but often it was close.  
These people had meant something to him when, to those Monster, these beautiful souls were simple ammunition to hurt him. Those people still mean something to him, even now, after all these year. They had, after all, almost been territory. Home and safety. Skull felt understood for the first time, just by being next to them.  
But because he had genuinely liked these people, they were killed, all just to hurt him. All just so his flame might grow just a tiny bit more powerful, just a bit more desperate to bond again. 

And when they believed they'd finally broken his will... When he was at his lowest, curled up on this same, messy futon and sobbing himself breathless at the age of 15, mourning and griefing his loved ones...  
Those hideous people he had still remained loyal to, these disgusting Monsters that wanted him to be one of their weapons... They tried to force a sky bond on him.  
And that had been the limit of his patience. Or rather, the end of his tolerance for their bullshit. That day, Skull killed not only for the first time, but in the most gruesome ways he ever would.  
He bathed in the blood of those faceless creatures, adopting their depravity to fill the void his sanity left him with.  
That night was also when he left the Clan, to do his own thing for many years to come.

But this is a dream, no? Even if it's cobbled together out of vague, messy memories, there is no reason to react with it. It's been literal decades afterall.  
He shouldn't be affected. He shouldn't feel suffocated, shouldn't struggle to get a single word out, shouldn't feel so depraved, aimless and small... Yet when Skull comes back to himself, that's exactly what's going on.  
He has dropped to the floor, curled up and is shaking with each breath shuddering through his body.  
And that is when his vision blurs once more, tears stinging his eyes again.  
This time, they do fall, hitting first tatami flooring, then the wooden floor of a stage, the booing echoing around him briefly, before it changes again and his vision is filled by a velvety, red carpet. 

It's a familiar carpet and he takes one big, deep breath, gathering himself just enough to slowly look up and around. Yep, it's the Arcobaleno mansion.  
The place he was trapped in not even three days ago.  
His vision of the place abruptly sharpens and his flame bristles as a sky flame burrows into its edges. It's... His almost-sky. Luce's flame. Perhaps the wisps of it that were left in his flame were propagated enough to interact with him? It's... tugging at him for his attention and Skull's mind kind of blanks under the steadily building stress.  
No. No no no no. He doesn't need this right now! Anything but them! Anything but this-

"What about Skull?"  
Fon's calm voice, with its soft, lilting accent, cuts through the haze of stress in his mind and Skull snaps to attention, looking over toward the half opened doorway there.  
Its the living room, the unofficial spot for meetings. Somehow... This all feels too real. And flames are weird, Skull knows that better than anyone. For all he knows, Luce's flame is showing him the past, or the future, or something.  
He doesn't remember ever hearing that question asked however... 

"What about him." That's Lal's voice, rough around the edges, rumbly, but pleasantly deep. She sounds irked with the question and that realisation burns a little like the nausea he gets after forgetting to eat for a whole day.  
Fon sounds neutrally contemplative on the other hand and while it doesn't soothe the burn, it gives the whole situation a bit of a bittersweet edge. "We are all well aware he used to be a civilian. Should we keep in contact after this is all over?" And, after a moment of deafening silence, Fon clarifies. "It's a question of ethics, is it not?"  
Of course he would ask then. Ethics and morality have always escaped Fon, to a certain extend. Same with Reborn, but Reborn is more firmly opionated on... just about everything.  
Fon likes to first hear and consider everyone's opinion before deciding his own. 

Silence reigns for a few more moments, then Collonello speaks, a little hesitant, probably having waited for Lal to speak her piece first. "I mean, I would like to go back to what my life was before, kora. I definitely wanna stay in contact though. But in Skull's case... It would be too dangerous. I'm not gonna."  
A vaguely positive hum sounds from Lal, agreeing mildly, and something icy burns in the pit of his stomach. Huh. So those two don't want to see him anymore... It shouldn't be a surprise, yet it still stings. 

"Im not interested enough to want to do either. I'll probably cut contact." Verde sounds outright dismissive with his light, gravely voice, and the words feel as if Skull has bitten into a sour apple.  
He frowns and purses his lips a little, almost pouting. Not interested? Then why did Verde put him through countless experiments? Just to torment him? Typical.  
Verde isn't any better than the Clan used to be, with its unorthodox methods... 

"Muh." That's Mammon, sounding vaguely indecisive, their voice riding right along the edge of a deep, sensual feminine and a lighter, huffy masculine. "The lackey still owes me money."  
Skull knows that is a lie. He's never liked owning anyone anything, so, whenever possible, he paid Mammon back as soon as he was able to. It was something they'd always appreciated. "Until he's paid his depths, I'm not cutting contact."  
This does soothe the burn considerably. At least one person wants to stay in contact with him... 

Then a deep, rumbling, baritone chuckle captures Skull's attention instantly. It's Reborn. And... He sounds amused? "Why would I keep contact with the lackey, hm? Would be a waste of my time."  
The others grumble mildly in response, but Skull isn't listening anymore. Because something in his chest just cracked and shriveled up and then he doesn't feel anything anymore. The lack of an emotional response is honestly distressing.  
Because Reborn is the unofficial leader of the Arcobaleno, even if first Luce, then Aria, then Yuni were their skies. It's mainly Reborn that decides to do stuff and everyone else kind of follows along with it. 

And Reborn doesn't care about him. He probably never did. None of them did.  
Maybe Mammon cares a little, but that might just be because he pays them for their time when they all go out to eat.  
Skull sighs softly, rubbing at his eyes and straightening up slowly. Luce's flame tries to cling to him with desperation, but a soft brush of his bristly Cloud flame is all it takes to smother her flame out of existence.  
Watching his different lives crash and burn... Is this some sort of sign?  
Does he need to start a new life yet again? Is it even worth it to keep living at all..?  
...  
Although... Kyoya had been surprisingly forthcoming... 

The scenery changes one last time, a vague memory, the edges of his vision blurred with future possibilities perhaps. A flame surrounds him, clingy, joyful, but so so kind.  
But this is a nice place, it even looks warm and soft, probably due to the bright, beige colors of the walls and the blurred edges.  
A dark figure moves ahead of him, radiating that sweet flame, their back to him as they move around some stuff on a kitchen counter. They hum a faint melody, their voice somewhat airy, yet low and almost melodious...  
It's nice. This is... Nice... 

~~~Kyoya POV~~~

The herbivore isn't waking up.  
Skull isn't under the influence of anything as far as he knows. He doesn't have a concussion either. And he obviously isn't dead yet. But he isn't waking up.  
Its been 28 hours. Kyoya had slept himself, gone to school, finished his patrols and came back home already.  
It's nearing to 3 am and the herbivore was still just laying on the couch, exactly where Kyoya left him the day before yesterday.  
At this point, anyone would be starting to get a tiny bit concerned.  
What is he supposed to do about this? He tried waking the stuntman, of course, but nothing worked. Shaking him had no effect, Kyoya's alarm clock didn't do the trick, not even dumping a cup of ice cold water over his face, or slapping him across the cheek worked.

.... why did Kyoya even bring him home?  
Surely, the man could not be his long lost brother. Skull is one of the biggest herbivore's Kyoya met to date. A nuisance. Cowardly. Weak.  
And, from what Kyoya remembers of the stories his father and the Clan used to tell, his brother was supposedly anything but cowardly, or weak.  
His brother was said to have been brave, powerful and stubborn enough to give the Clan, which had up to 5000 members around the globe at the time, enough of of a headache in just his early childhood, that he would be remembered and talked about for decades yet to come.

In conclusion, from what Kyoya knows about the stuntman and the way he has heard people gossip about his brother in the past, Skull just can't be who he claims to be.  
Because it makes no sense for the most cowardly, weakest Arcobaleno to somehow earn the title of Shinigami among the Clan, especially when the rest of the Arcobaleno don't give him even basic amounts of respect.  
To say Kyoya wants an explanation would be the understatement of the century.  
But Skull isn't awake. So Kyoya can't ask him to explain.

And it's 3 am, Kyoya should really be sleeping himself.  
But there is stuff to do. Paperwork mostly. Some patrol routes, some financial papers, a few mission files for him to look through...  
Kyoya is just about to leave the herbivore to tend to his work, when, finally, the stuntman stirs, snapping upright with a shuddering, hiccuping gasp and staring at Kyoya with wide eyes. 

They both just blink at each other for a moment, before Kyoya remembers his manners. "Good morning."  
Skull flops back down onto the couch, covering his face and making some sort of herbivorous sound. It immediately grates on Kyoya's nerves. It's pathetic.  
But... It also sounds like frustration, anger and sorrow put into one sound and hurled out into the world. Something... Some... Emotion in him prevents Kyoya from throwing the herbivore out, right that moment.  
And then, Skull is already speaking, soft, apologetic and... Rather out of character, all things considered.  
He doesn't sound like the same arrogant, boisterous man that had once attacked Kyoya's school... 

In fact, he sounds like he's weighted down by defeat and death itself, especially when he whimpers like a kicked puppy. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just-I'm sorry I-"  
Kyoya never knows what to do with crying people, it's not his area of expertise to comfort anyone, really, but this is clearly an issue that needs resolving. "Stop crying already."  
Skull takes a few deep, shuddering breaths, muffling his sobs to the best of his abilities. "I just.... I'm sorry, okay..? I need you to understand that..."  
The heaving breaths he takes after that sound like years of grief finally given voice and Kyoya doesn't know why he's sympathizing with the stuntman now of all times. 

Kyoya then waves all the emotions aside, grabbing a hold of himself. "First of all, I know what the scars on your wrists imply. However, I refuse to believe it. Prove your identity."  
Skull takes a deep, deep breath, sighing all of that out, then pursing his lips, trying to keep his voice level now. "... I made you a purple stuffed bunny when you were, like, 2. You couldn't conceptualize that it was yours, so you tried to give it back to me multiple times. You were an adorable kid. And I'm so fucking sorry I didn't take you along when I left back then. I just-"  
Skull bursts into blubbering tears again, but Kyoya tactfully ignores that. 

Kyoya instead, works on accepting the fact that this herbivore is in fact his brother. It's... surprisingly easy to do so. It's simple, really. None of the Mists the Clan could ever hire would know about how he'd tried to return the stuffed toy multiple times, so this man must be his brother.  
This fact, however, brings up another issue in its entirety and Kyoya feels a little annoyed with it. "Hey. Listen."  
It takes a moment, but then, Skull quiets down, brows furrowed with confusion, looking at Kyoya with his bloodshot eyes.  
And Kyoya takes a moment to quietly admit to himself that guilt tastes as bitter as defeat, if not more disgusting.

Once he has the herbivore's-his brother's-full attention, Kyoya stands up and lowers his head to the man. It's not a sign of submission, but admission to what has been done.  
Kyoya makes sure that he speaks calmly and clearly. "I apologize for the months of torment I have afforded you thus far. If I had known you weren't a faceless part of the herbivorous crowd, I would not have done so. I'm sorry."  
It doesn't do much to extinguish the guilt, but Kyoya's pride would not let him dismiss such a major event anyway. Also, it just had to be said. 

When Kyoya looks up again, Skull is obviously somewhat speechless, barely breathing, wide eyed and frozen in place. It takes a few, long, awkward moments and Kyoya tilting his head just so, for the older Cloud to snap out of his shock. "Uh-I-That's-...Thanks..?"  
Kyoya blinks mildly at that, not quite knowing what that means. "So you accept my apology?"  
Skull sits himself up properly on the couch then, resting his hands on his knees and heaving a deep breath, staring at the ground, still wide eyed. "I.... Yeah? I... Thank you for apologizing at all..?"  
Then he lifts his hands and covers his face again, quietly muttering to himself. "Gosh I didn't expect any of that..." 

Kyoya shrugs of the weird reaction, thinking instead then. "You've been asleep for more than a day, by the way. Want some early breakfast?"  
Skull sputters again, dropping his hands and staring at him with his big, purple eyes. He sounds incredulous. "Excuse-what?! A-ah-yes... I would... Like that. Wait... What time... It's 3AM?!"  
Kyoya cringes at the volume. "Yeah. So shut up. The others are sleeping."  
Skull pauses for half a second, then his eyebrows furrow once again. " 'The others'?"  
Kyoya just rolls his eyes. "My subordinates. The Disciplinary Comittee's members. They live here, essentially. If they haven't messed up the schedule again, there should be 4 of them sleeping here tonight." 

Skull looks incredulous still, but his shoulders are slowly relaxing. "And you're just... Fine with that?"  
Kyoya blinks at him slowly. "I like having them where I can make sure the aren't killing themselves trying to avenge my honor or something else idiotic. And there are more than enough guest rooms around. You're invited to stay, as well."  
Skull blinks rapidly. "Stay here..? Why would I..."  
Then his eyes kind of... Go dull and the corners of his lips dip down. "I... Don't have anywhere else to go, huh..." 

Kyoya almost sighs, but it turns into a yawn instead and he politely covers his mouth. "I thought so. You're welcome to stay. We need to get you a new identity, however. I refuse to call my Oniichan, by the name Skull. That's ridiculous."  
At that, the stuntman pouts and suddenly, everything seems a little less awkward. "Hey, I chose that name myself-"  
Kyoya can't help but smirk at that. "If you absolutely want to keep it, I'll just call you Tōkotsu instead."  
Now Skull is flustered and floundering. "Hey don't just chose my next name for me-"  
Admittedly, the whole situation is light hearted enough that Kyoya can't help the little chuckle that slips out.  
It seems that everything might just be fine between them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, I'll try to put the Arcobaleno's reactions into motion! Promise!


	4. Sickness and relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull feels sick, Kyoya helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something a little longer this time around, hope you'll enjoy~! Writing the Arcobaleno is difficult as all hell. I cannot get into the mentality of a hecking bully!  
> Any tips with writing any of them are deeply appreciated!

The next two weeks passed surprisingly quickly. Skull found that adjusting to his new home was... Easy. Actually, he had no difficulties assimilating into the strange household at all.  
Most of the Committee's members took one look at him and loved on him immediately, which was a bizarre experience. Skull is definitely not used to being surrounded by people that have good intentions for him. Then again, he probably put himself on their good side when he first met them. Skull has his manners, so he bowed to them and thanked them for loving Kyoya in his absence. It flustered just about everyone in the room.  
A blushing Kyoya is a surprisingly adorable sight. And, apparently, a very rare sight that the Committee unashamedly enjoy, which promptly caused a little tantrum to come up on Kyoya's end. 

And after introductions got done and over with... That was it. All of them fell into an easy rhythm and Skull was readily accepted as a part of that rhythm.  
Waking up in a room that was his own, having breakfast together with everyone that was at the mansion, spending the day cleaning, gardening, training, just doing whichever thing Kyoya suggested he do that day, eating lunch and dinner together and retiring back to bed...  
It's a routine, something Skull rarely ever had in his life. Everyday was the same, yet there was variations in everything. 

Especially the food had surprising variety. Kyoya seems like the traditional type, but once Skull mentioned missing foreign cuisine, things got switched around quite a bit every now and then. Apparently, the younger Cloud had gotten intrigued by Western cuisine, in particular healthy fast food alternatives. Skull liked the sweet potatoes fries the best.

That was a whole thing that happened around the middle of week number one.  
And then, Skull's second week of living here came to an end.  
And he promptly fell sick.

It was just some fatigue at first, making him feel sluggish and unfocused. Then it promptly escalated into a scratchy throat, fevers, headaches, stomach aches, nausea and cold flashes.  
Tetsuya-kun was the first to voice his concerns that it could be something flame related. It was just a passing comment, a suspicion, or a worry. Unfortunately, Kyoya still overheard it. And ever since, the baby Cloud has been hovering near Skull whenever he has the time to do so. 

Just like right now. Skull had dragged himself to the kitchen just to ask for a snack, only for Kyoya's focus to lock onto him. And before he could utter a word of protest, Kyoya already dragged him into that cozy little room and put him on one of the chairs by the small dining table there.  
Then the child, because that's what Kyoya still is more or less, went back to the kitchen counter to whip up some quick tea with honey. 

Skull slowly sips on that while observing his fellow Cloud, feeling warm and cozy with the complex network of flames all around him. Yes, Kyoya's flame absolutely dominates the whole place, but each member of the Committee slipped into and submitted under the blazing glory of that Cloud flame. They are all there when you know how to look for them, pulsing with life and contentment.  
Especially prominent is the excitable bundle of Tetsuya-kun's sun and storm flames, since that boy has this mansion as his permanent residence. Skull doesn't know yet why Tetsuya refuses to return to his home, but from what Kyoya mutters about useless herbivores when that topic comes up, Skull can guess that Tetsuya's parents aren't the best.

Skull is pulled out of his musings when Kyoya speaks up. It's rare that Kyoya starts any conversations, but that's mostly because that boy has difficulties putting just about anything into words other people can understand.  
Skull has found, by now, that Kyoya isn't particularly shy or antisocial, he's just very awkward and extremely self aware. It's goddamn cute. "About what Tetsu said. Did you notice anything odd about your flame as of late?"  
Skull blinks slowly, taking another sip of his honeyed wildberry tea. Kyoya purses his lips in a very adorable manner, pulling the blanket up around Skull's shoulders when it slips down his arms a bit. That's also something Skull discovered. Kyoya is a surprisingly touchy guy all thing considered. Skull's voice is still a little raspy, but he can speak softly without much discomfort. "I haven't noticed anything... But I'm not very aware of my flame in general, so that's probably biased..." 

Kyoya heaves a soft little sigh, frowning for a second, before letting go of his blanket and walking over to one of the cupboards. A moment later, Kyoya puts some kind of machine in front of him. Skull barely even raises his eyebrow before Kyoya clicks a button on the thing and a little fizzing sound starts up. The air quickly fills with a sharp, refreshing taste and smell. Skull blinks rapidly and Kyoya sighs. "A defuser. It should help with your throat. Just breathe in the fumes."  
Skull gives his brother a beaming, grateful smile, pulling his blanket up further and draping it over his head to do just that a bit more effectively. And Kyoya goes back to puttering about his kitchen for a bit.

Skull doesn't try to fight the smile that comes to him, licking his dry lips and sighing faintly in bliss. This all is a type of domestic security he's never been allowed to enjoy in his life. And it shows. It might have just been two weeks he's lived here, but Skull notices changes in his own behavior quickly. It's just subtle things. Like... That he's been more focused, much calmer even.  
Most of all, he is way, way more quiet. Because he doesn't have to be loud here just to be heard at all. Someone is always listening or paying attention. If not Kyoya, then Tetsuya, if neither of them, then one of the other Committee members.  
There's also always something to do, so Skull has been much less fidgety. There's always somewhere Skull's support is needed, or someone that meekly asks for his help with something.  
It's nice. Living here has been the most rewarding experience of his life... 

Then, Death comes knocking at the door.  
Well, not even really knocking. Reborn isn't polite enough for that! He just comes up out of nowhere and stops just outside the kitchen. Reborn makes no move to walk in, of course. Even the strongest isn't crazy enough to challenge a Cloud in their own sanctuary.  
Skull tenses the moment he realizes just who is standing there in all his bastardly glory.  
Reborn does NOT look happy from the little glance Skull dares to allow himself from under his blanket. There's a little scowl on Reborn's plush lips, his dark, dark eye narrowed, his fedora casting an ominous shadow over the top half of his handsome face.  
Then Reborn's attention snaps to him briefly and Skull shrinks into himself immediately, hiding further under his blanket and slowly breathing in the diffuser's fumes again. 

There is no recognition in those black eyes and Skull couldn't feel more grateful for that...  
He... Doesn't really feel ready to face any of his fellow former Arcobalenos yet...

Luckily, Kyoya is still working on his social awareness. Skull will forever love this hapless, fumbling baby Cloud for so violently overlooking the tension and sounding just mildly annoyed as he gracelessly starts another conversation. "Infant, what do you want."  
Reborn is thrown of his game and Skull nearly cries tears of joy when those dark eyes slip off of him to glare softly at Kyoya instead. Reborn can't even continue scowling fully the moment he sees the baby Cloud standing by the kitchen counter. The hitman is way, way too fond of Kyoya for that. "Hibari. The other's are searching for Skull. He was last seen with you. Do you have any clues where he went." 

Skull tenses at that, alarmed for several reason. But Kyoya just blinks slowly, tilting his head in thought, before shaking it mildly. "We had a talk at that party a few weeks ago. Cloud business, mostly. He said he was going to go see family. Is he missing?"  
Skull blinks rapidly, staring up at Kyoua from under his blanket. A white lie. For him? Of course Kyoya would know that Reborn can smell a liar, but how did his baby brother figure out the fabeled human lie detector can't tell half truths and truth apart?  
Reborn frowned again, his eyes drifting past Kyoya to glare at a wall. "He won't be 'missing' for long."

Kyoya shrugs lightly, taking a seat by the table and putting down two bowls of miso soup. Unfortunately, this draws attention back to Skull, who barely manages to repress his shudder when Reborn's eyes narrow on him.  
Kyoya speaks smoothly then, ignoring Skull in his entirety even as he hands him the second bowl of miso soup. Hiding him in plain sight... Skull feels oddly safe all things considered. "Can't you sense him through your bonds anyway. Why would you search the stunt herbivore?" 

And Skull never pegged Kyoya for much of an actor, but the way the baby Cloud commands Reborn's focus in that moment... Maybe Kyoya would've had a future in theaters if that path had been an option. Because Reborn eyes snap back to Kyoya and the sun scoffs faintly. "Something strange is happening with the bonds. It's why we're searching him."  
Kyoya makes a mild sound of acknowledgment, before taking a bite of his soup and glancing at Reborn. "I can't help you." 

Reborn huffs a faint bit, almost leaning in over the threshold before thinking better of it and retreating instead. Absolutely nobody wants the rage of a Cloud directed at them, it seems. "You will call me when you see him."  
Kyoya huffs mildly, focusing on his meal instead of the fact that Reborn even considered disrespecting his space. His rage simmers low for now. "If the herbivore happens to return to Namimori, I believe you would know sooner than I."

Reborn puffs up with the stroke to his ego and Skull can't help but roll his eyes. A mistake on his part, since Reborn seems to be able to sense snark directed at him even from miles away. "Who do we have here?"  
Kyoya glances at Reborn, then he flicks his eyes to Skull, before returning to his meal with a mild hum. "One of my Pompadours got sick."  
Dismissive. Bland. Believable. A fantastic performance. Skull feels proud. Kyoya even sounds perfectly unbothered. "Don't you have a Cloud to catch?" 

Luckily, that's enough to make Reborn tsk and walk of in a huff. Because Skull really can't just sit there and watch Kyoya simmer in his rage. Reborn has always been a bastard. Skull just didn't think he'd be disrespectful to Kyoya of all people!  
The moment the sun flames leave the property, Skull shoots up and sits down on the chair right next to Kyoya, scooting closer and leaning their shoulders together mildly.  
Kyoya doesn't outwardly react to it, still caught up in acting unbothered and eating his soup. But his flame bristles up all over, especially when Skull folds his blanket around both of them. Now that they're sitting shoulder to shoulder and wrapped in the same blanket, Skull takes note of the little signs of Cloudy rage.

The almost imperceptible trembling running its course through Kyoya's body, the faint lavender glow that took over grey eyes, the tension in Kyoya's shoulders and his jaw... Skull's baby Cloud is wound tight like a spring!  
Skull moves slowly, leaning over and nuzzling against Kyoya's shoulder, trying his best to use his own flame to pet and soothe Kyoya's flame down. He might not be very skilled in commanding his flames, but he can try. Even if he can't soothe the rage, Skull desperately wants Kyoya to at least know he's not alone right now!

Everyone so obviously fears a raging Cloud, yet nobody seems willing to consider actual Clouds' opinion of their own rage.  
Somehow... Everyone has remained willfully blind to the fact that no Cloud wants to be just another one of Those Clouds. One of the Clouds that gave into their primal instincts of rage. Why would any of them want to be just another dark blotch on one of the bloodiest reputations in the entirety of the underground?  
Even Kyoya despises this mold that is pushed upon them the moment mafia lays an eye on their flame. The fact that all Clouds are considered war machines. And Kyoya fits that description almost perfectly!

Skull blinks out of his thoughts when Kyoya dips forward, resting his forehead on Skull's shoulder and just breathing for a moment. Skull relaxes significantly at that, knowing that the worst of the rage already passed them over.  
Skull sighs a small bit, trying to focus again, his dull senses briefly overwhelmed by a rush of several flames. None of them are hostile, fortunately, it's mostly just the worried Committee, pushing their flames up to somehow soothe their leader's rage.  
Kyoya sighs this small breath that's different from the others, something fondly exasperated in the way he relaxes fully and it makes Skull smile.

Skull just takes a moment to brush a hand through Kyoya's hair, sorting through the vibrant flames that crowd his senses. It isn't alarming, because Skull knows the Committee is mostly untrained, concerned civilians.  
When they're reaching out like this, they do it out of desperation to soothe and comfort, not to try to restrict, or force Kyoya back into some kind of leadership role. They don't hold that sort of influence over Kyoya in the first place anyway, but Skull feels comforted that Kyoya is surrounded by elements that look up to him, yet know that even the strongest Cloud can have their moments of weakness. 

Admist the swirl of somewhat chaotic, desperately soothing flames, there is one more flame that sticks out and Skull's smile softens significantly. The tentative edge of a slightly more trained Cloud flame nudges just there, unsure whether the contact is welcome.  
But Kyoya doesn't pull his flame away, he rarely ever bothers to budge at all. So the third Cloud flame curls up and rests there within their reach, radiating understanding in a way that the other elements cannot. Because nobody bothers to try to understand Clouds the way other Clouds naturally do. 

Once again, Skull feels comforted that, even as isolated as Kyoya has been, he hasn't been all on his own while growing up.  
There is another Cloud living their life relatively peacefully in Namimori. Kyoya told him the girl's name is Kurokawa Hana and that they have a mutual agreement not to get in each other's way. It's an unspoken understanding that this also means they are looking out for one another.  
If either of them fell into rage the other would be the last line of defense to protect Namimori's civilians after all. 

Skull blinks rapidly, pulled back out of his thoughts yet again when Kyoya shifts around. It's somewhat rare that Kyoya starts their occasional hugs, even with how touchy his baby brother is, so when Skull finds himself wrapped in slender arms, he is a little confused.  
Kyoya looks upset in a different way now, glaring at nothing with a particular crinkle to his brows. Skull, obviously, reciprocates the hug immediately, happily snuggling into Kyoya's shoulder, because Kyoya is warm and soft and safe in a way that is immensely comforting.  
And... He might need a little comforting after that close brush with Death. 

It takes a moment for him to register that Kyoya looks upset because he's concerned. Oh dear. They'll have to... Talk about this, no? Skull sighs softly, nuzzling a bit closer then. "You wanna say anything?"  
Kyoya grumbles lowly, one arm wrapped around Skull's shoulders and the other hand tugged under his hair. It's not caressing, Kyoya just like to rest his hands there. Again, surprisingly touchy, not that Skull's complaining. "You're shaking. Do you... Dislike that sun?"  
Skull sighs softly, because no matter the situation, Kyoya does not pull his punches, whether in a fight, or in a conversation. He purses his lips, thinking for a moment and Kyoya curls his hand lightly against the back of his head, scratching at this particular spot that just makes Skull melt.

He looks at Kyoya, his little brother, with his curious flame and his petulant tantrums and his innocent eyes and Skull manages a faint, sincere smile. Fuck it. He can be honest here at least. "I don't think he'd like me being around, you know..?"  
Kyoya tilts his head, not understanding yet another social interaction. "Why would he search you, if he doesn't want you around." 

Skull sighs hard at that, tilting his whole body backwards and somewhat dragging Kyoya along, because they are both stubborn and Skull is a sarcastic bastard at heart.  
He pitches his voice high, exaggerating just about everything. Putting on his act for old time's sake and... Maybe to demonstrate something.  
It could also just be that seeing Reborn brings out this side of him. Who knows at this point. "How would I know thaaaaat?? I've tried to disappear myself so many dang times, you know? He always ended up finding the great Skull-sama all over again-" 

Just for extra effects, he wiggles around a bit, whining loud and sharp. Kyoya, predictably, looks disgusted right away, frowning and pursing his lips immediately. The fact Kyoya doesn't beat him half dead over things like this, speaks volumes to just how sincere he was when he apologized two weeks ago.  
But Kyoya also isn't letting go, so he's getting dragged along as Skull tips himself further back, to lounge over both of their chairs and halfway on the ground. "Why would anyone dislike the fantastic, the fabulous Skull-Sama? I don't knoooow!!" 

Kyoya then pounces up a bit, knocking the top of his head sharply into Skull's chin, signaling him to shut up with minimal pain and effort. "Alright, I get that. What I don't get is why you act that way with them in the first place."  
Skull sighs softly, relaxing a bit out of the perfect bridge his body formed and effectively slithering down onto the ground with Kyoya now kneeling over him, hovering over his torso. 

Skull has to look up a bit to make eye contact with this curious little soul and he gives him a smile. "Honestly? I think I started my act to distract Fon. Cause, uh.... Our Clan has a 'kill on sight' order out at me and I... Didn't like the way Fon was inching closer to me during our first meeting as the I Prescelti Sette..."  
Kyoya blinks down at him, shifting over and sitting next to him, making sure they're both comfortable. "You haven't told me about your first meeting with them. Or much of anything concerning them. Tell me now. I'm curious."

Skull sighs softly, laying down flat on the ground and snuggling into the blanket still tangled around him. The kitchen floor is heated and he loves it. "Where do I start..."  
Kyoya flops sideways with unfair grace, snuggling up to him and looking at the ceiling. "That first meeting. Tell me about that. Also, how come you ended up an Arcobaleno to begin with?"  
Skull closes his eyes, remember those days as if it hasn't been decades. "Well..." 

~~~Flashback~~~

Really, it all came down to the fact that Checkerface has always been a bastard. The first time that freak showed up, Skull was just 20 years old and still working for the same circus he'd ended up in after his first few years of adventures on the road.  
Icy and Spitfire, the resident double trouble twins, trapeze artists and mother hens, just so happened to be there that evening. They were helping Skull through learning another trick he'd wanted go pick up from them, as per usual. Those two were also the ones that dragged him off the Russian streets into the circus life to begin with.  
In short, Skull adored them.

So when some masked stranger suddenly showed up out of nowhere that evening and nearly startled Icy into breaking their neck in the middle of a demonstration, Skull's hackles went up in ways they rarely ever did since he left the Clan. Spitfire wasn't much better, dragging her sibling behind herself immediately and glowering spitefully at the man right away. The masked freak had the nerve to sound amused. What a fucking creep. "I'm here for a certain... Skull, was it?"  
So Skull put himself in between the twins and the threat, naturally, frowning mildly. Icy made a distressed noise in the back of their throat, practically choking on the panic they felt and Spitfire didn't take kindly to it either. "What the fuck is your issue you bastard?! Who even are you!?" 

Obviously the shouting promptly attracted their resident strong man. A big soft teddy of a man that everyone agreed to just call Bear. "What is going on here?!"  
But Skull knew Bear wouldn't be able to help with this. Because, while he hadn't done shit concerning the mafia in years, his training was ingrained into his bones. Skull knew when he was face to face with a threat more powerful than himself.  
The only thing on his mind in that moment was getting his family out of there. "Bear, grab the twins. This fucker's mine." 

Of course, Spitfire would never go quietly, cussing, screaming and struggling all the way, but for all his softness, Bear was strong. And obedient.  
He easily dragged the twins away and Skull could feel their worried gaze burn into the back of his head. The true shock of that situation was when Icy choked on a muffled cry that almost sounded like "No-Skull!", but the moment passed too quick for Skull to respond. He... Would've praised his deaf friend for that pronunciation. Icy'd improved a lot since they first met.

He stared at the masked fucker, tension riding his shoulders high, narrowing his eyes at the freak. "What do you want with me."  
He still sounded fucking amused- "Hibari Daichi."  
Skull, admittedly, nearly gagged at that cursed fucking name, a violent roiling starting in his stomach and rocketing up to his chest. "Who the fuck-"  
Checkerface to a step forward, somehow radiating smugness as well as a sort of detached fascination. "That is your name, is it not?" 

Skull took an instinctive step back, eyes widened, but hardening at the same time. "Who the fuck are you."  
The man went into a mocking bow. "Checkerface is my name. Now. I'm here to inform you, Hibari Daichi, that you were chosen to be one of the I Prescelti Sette."  
The Seven Strongest. Of course Skull remembered his lessons on that topic. Really, his response was more nature than nurture, Skull's Cloud shining through even after years of suppressing that bitch. "Fuck no." 

It was the wrong thing to say, he knew immediately, especially when the masked fuck radiated annoyance, but once Skull started talking, it was near impossible for him to shut up back then. "Whatever the fuck you think you're doing, no! Just-no! I'm not going anywhere-"  
Checkerface cut him off rather calmly, almost something like pity in his voice. "Either you come willingly, or I'll take you along by force."  
And because Skull was stubborn and naive and boiling over with rage... he pounced.

Caught the bastard all of guard, nearly dented that stupid mask in with his bare fists and stomped his heels into the freak's stomach on the way down. And they went down hard, cracking the stage's concrete flooring with the force of it.  
Checkerface was not amused, but also quite stunned, so Skull did the wisest thing he'd done all evening. He fucking bolted. 

It would be another eight months until Checkerface managed to track him down again, this time, coming prepared to drag Skull kicking and screaming into the underground.  
The simple fact that those eight months on the run were all it really took for him to go from amateur daredevil to the World's Greatest Stuntman... Well, nobody ever looked into his career's time-line anyway.

[ Kyoya frowns at that, clearly very displeased with a protective anger in his eyes. "I think all of that is proof of just how Cloudy you really are. And a testament to the kind of feats you are capable of when you're focused. That's just impressive, Niichan..."  
Skull blushes darkly, giggling a bit. "You Charmer... Let me continue..." ] 

The first meeting really... Well, it went about as well as it could've, given the fact that Skull didn't want to be there and couldn't be bothered to behave himself.  
Checkerface dropped him off on the threshold and left him there with Luce who had a very pensive look on her face. That woman never looked right at him, except for in that first moment, looking all caught of guard and unsure.  
Skull promptly told her that her taste in men is trash because her boy toy is just very rude. He couldn't have known she wasn't fucking Checkerface at that point in time, come on!  
Anyway, Luce was scandalized about it for all of a minute, before dragging him into hell with a sweet smile on her face. He knew from the beginning on that that woman was just a sadistic bitch. 

Then, she introduced him to a group of fuckers that honestly looked like a rainbow puked all over them. He couldn't pipe up about it himself, his stuntman persona was fully decked out in purple that day after all, but still.  
He didn't wanna be there, didn't wanna be polite, didn't even wanna talk with them, so he stared at them all with big eyes, unsure of where to start. Mainly, he was thinking of ways to tell them he absolutely wasn't gonna fucking stick around. 

Then his eyes met Fon's for all of half a second and his heart took a dive into his pants. Fuck. The red Dragon or whatever the fuck that guy's title was.  
Skull remembered him! From fucking training! This bastard broke so many of his bones growing up! Granted... Fon just broke everyone's bones, but still!  
And he had that fucking creepy ass smile on his face, like the cat that caught the canary or some shit. Well, screw that. Just for that creepy grin Skull wasn't gonna give anyone here what they wanted! 

So he blinked his big eyes, paled completely and back pedaled hard, shrieking in alarm. "Who the fuck are you people!?"  
The click of a gun's safety and Skull shrieked at twice that volume when Reborn shot at him for the first time. He just flailed, screamed, ran and hid behind whom he would later find out to be Verde.  
One glance told him all he needed to know. The muted confusion on Fon's face was a fucking godsend...  
Until this was over and fucking done with, he'd keep up the act.  
Yeah. Can't be that hard, right? 

~~~Flashback end~~~

Skull ends the story with a deep sigh, still snuggled up in his blanket on the warm floor. It's actually really cozy. The fact that he's wearing a thick black hoodie and a pair of sweatpants might play a part in that as well. Mainly though, it's the weight and warmth of Kyoya, snuggled up at his side and watching him with intrigue in his eyes. "So... You put on that act, just so Fon leaves you be?"  
Skull sighs softly, looking up at the ceiling and closing his eyes, feeling the pounding of a headache start up. "It was like that only in the beginning though. Now it's just... I just..."

He sighs harder, looking down at Kyoya and smiling sadly. "Kyoya... They are all so fucking insecure... Getting put together with a civilian was a huge blow to their egos..."  
Kyoya frowns, but nods slowly, trying to work out the reasoning. Skull just snuggles him closer. "And I guess.... Somewhere through the first few months, I... I grew attached. I loved them back then, Kyo. So I... I kept the act going so they'd... Have r-reason to keep me around, y-you know..?"  
Skull whimpers with the realization, curling up against his brother and trembling as tears fall once again. "F-fuck I... I goddamn let them torment me just so... J-just so I wouldn't... L-lose them... "

Kyoya has gotten better at comforting him, reaching up a hand and brushing it through his hair slowly. Kyoya's soft, childish, tiny flame wraps protectively around the fractured pieces of Skull's Cloud, settling into the cracks, humming with a possessiveness that doesn't burn or carve into him.  
The gentleness of a Cloud feels strange. Especially after years of searing sun, carving lightning, negligent sky and storm, disinterested and spiteful rains, or even the pitying Mist...  
Kyoya's flame feels like a soothing balm in comparison and Skull doesn't want it to leave ever again. He wants it there, in the fractures of his soul, in the little cracks of his heart...

Skull clutches onto Kyoya, heaving with his sobs. "I... I shouldn't have... L-let them..."  
Kyoya continues to pet his hair slowly. "Niichan. It is never to late to kick valueless herbivore's to the curb."  
Its such a matter of fact statement, Skull rears back a second, staring at Kyoya with wide, teary eyes. "I.... I can't just... Deharmonize with them, that's... Not how flames work..." 

Kyoya sighs, cupping his cheeks and wiping his tears away gently. His hands are so warm, soft and kind. Skull leans into the callused palms against his cheeks. Kyoya speaks with a certainty in his voice that is incredibly grounding and comforting. Skull never wants to be without that certainty again. "It may not be how flames work. But it is how Clouds work, Niichan. I..."  
Kyoya hesitates just then and Skull holds his breath. This feels significant. It feels so goddamn important! 

Kyoya sighs softly, looking at him with those kind eyes of his. Eyes that see Skull and accept all of him. Eyes that don't judge and demand... Beautiful grey eyes. And a kind, melodious voice. "Niichan. Skull de Morte. Will you be my Cloud? I want to make you mine own..."  
Skull can't process the world for a hot minute after that, just staring at his baby brother with impossibly wide eyes. "You... You want me... As your... Your Cloud? Kyoya I..."

Kyoya averts his eyes, a dusting of pink coming to his cheeks and he pouts. "You can say no."  
And isn't that a distressing thought. Just enough for Skull to catch a clear thought. "Then you'll be my Cloud, too. Please I... I just... Y-yes? Please, please pleasepleaseplease-"  
And Kyoya doesn't quite know what to do with that desperation, but he's keeping ahold of Skull, keeping him from drifting on his own. Drifting alongside him. And Skull curls into his brother's arms, sobbing with the relief of it. 

That kind, tiny Cloud flame, that terrifying, territorial maelstrom, settled in his own Cloud simple as that. Like it was always meant to be there. And... Maybe it should have been...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... How did I do on writing them? Anyone terribly out of character yet?  
> Aside from Kyoya I mean. That one's kinda obligatory.
> 
> Btw, Skull calls Kyoya his baby Cloud because at age 17, Kyoya is still a child in his eyes. Also, there is so much Kyoya still has to learn in regards to handling his flames. He's already well trained on it. Not as good as he could be. Thus, a baby Cloud. With limitless potential for growth in all directions.


	5. Sunny days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What are the Arcobaleno up to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help I've made a mess! 
> 
> . 
> 
> Reborn is the mess. QwQ please enjoy.

It has been more than a month since either of them had seen Skull. Verde was the last to catch a glimpse of their purple stuntman, having seen Skull be dragged of by the Vongola's Cloud that night they were finally released. But Kyoya was stubborn as a mule, refusing to give up any information, aside from the fact that Skull had claimed he would go visit family. But all of them are here, aren't they? Skull's family is here. 

It has been three weeks since their bonds to their civilian Cloud have started to be ground apart. Reborn was the first to notice, which wasn't much of a surprise. Ever since their Sky fell out of harmony with them, their hitman's been nothing short of obsessed with looking at and guarding over their bonds to one another. Skull's bonds had never made problems, not until it began to twist into itself, ripping apart with enough force to immobilize all of them for a full day. They can't fix it anymore. Not without Skull. 

It's been two weeks since they could last stand being away from one another. Back then, Lal and Colonello attempted to go on a date, but they couldn't focus much on each other. Not when there is a part of their fucking soul missing, still bleeding and burning and sore. They returned in 15 minutes and immediately joined the odd pile the other Arcobaleno had formed. Skull would have called it a cuddle session or something else ridiculous. He would have cracked a joke and they would have teased him right back. Something vital is missing, pulsing through them, raw and hurting. 

It has been a week since they last found a clue as to their wayward Cloud's location. That was thanks to Mammon's network. Family... of course Skull meant that strange circus he had been a part of before he joined them. The difficult thing was locating some small, nomadic circus that routinely changes its names and performances. It took them an entire week. They finally found the location a few hours ago and were already on their way, using a small private jet. Anticipation thrummed through them each, ending with their Mist and not going any further. Where is their Cloud. 

Lastly, it has been about two days since any of them managed to catch even an hour of sleep. Hell, Fon has dark circles under his eyes, his body tense and his smile strained. None of them were able to sleep well ever since Skull's flames twisted away from their grasp. But that would change soon. They are on their way to drag their Cloud back to them... And nothing would stand in their way. 

~~~Reborn POV~~~

Argentina. Some random circus in the heart of Argentina. That is where their Cloud disappeared of to. Skull dared to run away when their bonds were still so fragile and wound up from the breaking of that stupid curse.  
To say Reborn is furious would be an understatement. He is close to raging once more, brushing his flames over their bonds and feeling the gaping hole his Cloud left in his wake.  
A faintly annoyed, exhausted grumble pulls him out of that rage. His lightning chastises him with no venom in his voice. "Stop poking at it. Just gonna make it worse..." 

Reborn growls lowly in response, dragging Verde back up properly so the lightning doesn't slip off his lap. Airplane seats, even in private jets, are a pain. Reborn had the seat first, claiming it when their journey started, but Verde somehow ended up in his lap.  
And a little while later, Colonello and Lal wedged themselves into the seat beside them, curling into one another there.  
Mammon and Fon were on the other side of the cabin, not sharing seats, but leaning against one another over their shared armrest, attempting to rest. The quiet, soft whimpers, followed by faint cooing noises showed just how well that was going.

Reborn frowns mildly, feeling dizzy with the exhaustion humming in his bones. Lal and Colonello were radiating rain flames at everyone, so they could try to catch some sleep. Nobody had any luck so far.  
Whenever they close their eyes, they see it all over again. The way that small, purple bond curled into itself, slowly twisting, before ripping and grinding apart from them. Pulling away from them with something sinister tugging their Cloud along. Whatever, WHOEVER, stole their Cloud, will face their full wrath. 

Its the third hour of the flight when Fon joins them, bringing along Mammon and dumping them unceremoniously on top of Lal and Colonello. Those three finally managed to rest, however fitfully, wedged into the same seat and piled on top of each other.  
Fon, on the other hand, calmly twists around the seat in front of Reborn, dropping into it with a little sigh. That seat was definitely not meant to be twisted that way, but if Fon wanted to be near, Reborn was not gonna judge him. Verde made a faint, pleased noise, stretching out finally and dumping his legs on Fon's lap. Nobody cared. 

Fon looks down for a while, breathing evenly, but there is a tension in him that's unusual. Reborn wonders when was the last time he successfully meditated. After what might have been anther hour, Fon locks eyes with him and tilts his head lightly. "I read somewhere that talking about... grief is supposed to help."  
Verde hums out some kind of citation, already halfway asleep, but Reborn is still awake. He answers mildly. "If you think it'll help you, talk."  
He is not really in the mood to fight or argue with anyone anymore. What reason is there to be contradictory for the hell of it, if there won't be a little mischievous snickering somewhere nearby... 

Fon settles down more, probably trying to relax, but he is way too tense, so he just looks miserable instead. "I remembered our first meeting and some of our first missions earlier."  
Reborn leans his head against Lal's, using some of her rain to soothe down the rage in his system. Fon let's his eyes wander around a bit, watches Lal, Colonello and Mammon snuggle for a moment. "Do you remember how prepared we were to fight our future Cloud before we first met him? That was fun."  
Reborn scoffs lightly at the memory.

In hindsight, it was ridiculous. They came fully prepared to fight tooth and nail with Skull when they heard they would be expecting their Cloud that day. How could they not have been cautious? The World's Strongest Cloud was coming to join them after all.  
Just from the anger Checkerface expressed when they brought their Cloud up, they could deduce that this Cloud was, at the very least, headache inducing to find for the weird, masked stranger. And that said something, considering this guy located each of them in record time and brought them together eight months prior to finally catching their Cloud. 

Then the moment came that Luce lead their Cloud into the room and honestly, every expectation was thrown out the window. Cause there stood Skull, decked out in purple leather, face caked with make up and decorated with piercings, eyes wide and innocent, blinking in obvious confusion.  
Before he abruptly reeled back, flailing his arms about and shrieking. "Who the fuck are you people?!"  
Reborn's instinctive reaction was to shoot the weird Cloud, but Skull just shrieked again and dodged behind Verde for cover.  
And that was the moment each of them realized that Skull wasn't gonna be a normal Cloud.  
It was also the moment they decided he would be at the very bottom of their harmony's hierachry, just based of the fact that he's scaredy cat and the weakest. 

Reborn blinks out of his memories, feeling an ache in his chest and ignoring that skillfully. He's still mad with Skull for running away, he doesn't miss him. He's just mad.  
Fon sounds immeasurably fond, his hands folded into his sleeves and his shoulders finally relaxing. "That was fun."  
Then his serene smile drops a bit and a soft sigh leaves his lips. "Reborn, what if we can't find him... This way of living is not sustainable..."  
Reborn frowns immediately. "We've always found him when he ran before. We will find him again." 

Fon looks up at him, a little furrow to his brows. "What if he doesn't want to be found, my friend..."  
Reborn glares Fon down then. "We will find him whether he likes it or not."  
Fon just sighs softly then, leaning back and pulling his legs onto the seat, curling up there and relaxing further. "Fine. When we find him, you need to confess already. It's getting ridiculous, old friend. Wake me when we land, hm?" 

And after that bullshit Fon even has the audacity to just fall asleep! Reborn quietly seethes at his storm, huffing faintly and shaking his head.  
It's just teasing and banter that has sadly become common in their little group.  
Whenever their stupid Cloud is out of earshot, especially when everyone else was up to teasing each other, Reborn would find himself mercilessly roasted about being particularly fond of their stuntman. But he isn't!  
Even if... Fon didn't sound like he was teasing... And the situation really isn't calling for it... Whatever. 

Sure, he trains the Cloud whenever he has the time and patience to do so, but that's just so Skull won't drag them down during missions! (Except it's been years since they last went on a mission together and beyond that, Skull's physical capabilities have been several levels above any of Reborn's other students for a decade now at least.) 

And Reborn may stalk their Cloud more often than he does the others, but that's because Skull is more of a risk!  
(It has nothing to do with the fact Skull goes on more dates than all of them combined. He's gullible, obviously, so Reborn has to make sure he isn't hopping into bed with someone that would take advantage of him. That's all.)

And Reborn may or may not worry a bit more than the others whenever Skull goes missing, but it means nothing.  
(It's distressing. Skull disappeared for a whole year right after they were cursed and Reborn didn't know whether that clumsy civilian was even still alive until their Cloud decided to return randomly one day.) 

Reborn might concede the fact that he's grown attached to his Cloud. But he is not fond of him the same way he might be fond of his dame students!  
(Because neither Tsuna, nor Dino have beautiful purple eyes, silky purple hair and soft, pale skin. Neither of their antics genuinely make Reborn bite his lips to hide his laughter. They have kindness in their hearts, but they don't glow with it like that. And when they laugh it doesnt light up the entire room and draws everyone's attention and-and-) 

.... 

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was just a chapter of Reborn's bi panic.  
> Next chapter is the Arco gang running into Skull's circus fam! How Skull ended up getting traced here will be explained at a later date!


	6. A discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoya finds secrets and shares his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one week?? 
> 
> Yes, I had the time to do another one, also, inspiration was hella high.
> 
> I hope I did Skull's epicness justice!
> 
> Enjoy~?

~~two weeks ago, in the Hibari household~~

It takes a long time for Skull to calm down enough to stop crying while they bond for the first time and even then, they don't stop holding onto each other. Kyoya seems to be quietly enjoying himself, his eyes closed while continuously brushing a hand through Skull's hair. He might as well have been daydreaming with how relaxed his body has gotten.  
Skull snuggles closer to him anyway, burying his face against Kyoya's chest and breathing slow and deeply. They have both... Never felt this peaceful in their entire life. Cloud to cloud bonding is...  
It's an experience, to say the least. Even half an hour later, Skull is still fully focused on familiarizing himself with his baby Cloud.

Because Kyoya is downright majestic.  
Again, a violent, irritated maelstrom in one moment and in the next, something absolutely precious and tiny. And Skull can't decide which side of Kyoya's flame he likes best.  
The Maelstrom is impressive, breathtaking even, seemingly fully capable of bending steel with just a smidge of the force simmering behind that undying will. And that's not even counting the way barely half of this flame is needed to carry actual Sky bonds!  
Yes, Bonds! Plural! Because of course Kyoya's absolutely overpowered flame can handle being bonded to three separate sky flame sets without ripping apart at the seams! 

And then, there's the other side of Kyoya's flames. Precious, tiny and so so pure. Clingy and protective in the most adorable sense of the words. But also so, so determined. Like a child, holding onto their favorite thing with a reverent breath on their lips.  
This part of Kyoya's flame is what surrounds, fills and holds onto Namimori, Skull can tell immediately. He can feel it as well, which will take some major getting used to.  
It's this energy that pulses through the entire town, chased by a heavy sense of peace, home and a feeling of being beloved.  
If he concentrates on it enough, Skull can even smell the warm asphalt, feel the fresh breeze, almost taste Namimori's herbs, pastries, coffees and much more on his tongue.  
It's beautiful...

~~~Kyoya POV~~~

Unbeknownst to Skull, Kyoya is similarly breathless for a while. How could he not be?  
Kyoya did not expect much of his brother, admittedly. So when he encounters a flame on the brink of extinction, smothered under several more powerful, forceful flame bonds, he is furious, but not very surprised...  
Then, Kyoya nudges that suffocating Cloud with his own and Skull's flame opens up and drags him in.  
Underneath a thick later of this pathetically smothered flames... There is something more.  
Something that is entirely deserving of the quiet reverence a title like the 'World's Strongest Cloud' inspires. 

Despite everything he has managed to do in his life up until this point, Kyoya is still mortal and he is painfully aware of that mortality. What should he do when he is confronted with a flame burning so brilliantly it's blinding, a violent bush fire spanning miles upon endless miles, a glowing core that melts all that ever touch upon it?  
Kyoya is speechless, confronted with a boiling ocean, the source of it all submerged Embers, shrieking of the word 'Eternal'.  
Eternal suffering, Eternal bondage, Eternal _Rage_.  
And somewhere in there, there is a spiteful little whisper. Something _biting_. Something lying in ancient chains that is still resisting, still growling.  
It's this Something that sees Kyoya and slowly settles down. It purrs with contentment. Speaks to him with gentle authority.  
Loyal. Family. _Bond Eternal._ _**Mine.**_

And what is Kyoya supposed to say to that?  
How would anyone answer to the call of this ancient God-being?  
What should his response be when this force, this blazing inferno, beckons him closer?  
Should Kyoya attempt to reign over this beast? It would eat him alive.  
Should he try to submit to it? He would be crushed under the weight of it's mass.  
Should he approach it as an equal? He is not equal to **This.** But that is the only option that does not feel like it would be an insult. 

So Kyoya approaches this inferno and offers it his own flames, which feel meager in comparison. But the submerged embers sing with glee and Kyoya is readily accepted.  
He ends up with the core of this beast in his palms and that's where he sees him again.  
In this surprising, soft tenderness, this soundless voice that weeps with a suffocating loneliness and yearning.  
Kyoya finds Skull there. 

***

Kyoya speaks softly after a long, long time, looking at Skull with a curious expression. "Hey, quick question... What the hell?"  
Skull giggles through his tears, curling up in his brother's arms briefly, before uncurling and sitting upright, wiping his tears and sniffling a bit. His brother somehow manages to smile at Kyoya with sincerity as he speaks softly. "Don't be like that..."  
Kyoya frowns then, glaring up at the older Cloud angrily, but words are difficult when his brain isn't working. "Why would you even-That-what??"  
Kyoya is clearly displeased, and Skull seems to think it's just adorable. He freaking coos softly! "It's fine Kyoya..."  
Kyoya snaps upright, gesturing at Skull vaguely, his voice getting higher with confusion and what might honestly be distress. "You can't just-that's like-just what the hell-" 

Skull giggles again, very amused with Kyoya's reaction apparently. He looks like he is remembering some fond memory, a little shimmer in his eyes next to the moisture of his tears...  
Then, Skull gently puts his hands on Kyoya's shoulders and gives him a very sweet smile. "Listen. It's fine, Kyoya. Really."  
Kyoya shakes his head, frowning darkly and glaring. This makes no damn sense? He can literally feel this immense power radiating off of his brother now.  
So he snaps at him, his voice sharp, but the concern softens his tone significantly. "You are way stronger than your elements. Why even put yourself down to their level?" 

And isn't that the question of the century?  
Skull sighs softly, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders tighter and looking at the ground. "Love makes people do some very stupid things..?"  
Kyoya is still frowning, looking his Cloud over, then huffing a bit. The distress might be messing with him a bit, because he is a little more tactless than he would usually be. "Niichan. They obviously don't love you back."  
Skull twitches, and Kyoya instantly regrets his choice of words. Why did he have to say it like that?! Skull is a little animal! He's social and sensitive, for God's sake! His brother looks crushed with the realisation!

Then, Skull sighs faintly, still looking down and using his blankey to wipe his tears off his face. "I.... I know."  
Kyoya doesn't know how to take the words back. He doesn't know how to fix this, still a little overwhelmed when he feels the beast in his palms curl into itself.  
Skull is still talking, pulling Kyoya back from a very strange kind of sensory hell. The older Cloud's voice very soft, his eyes completely dull. To Kyoya, Skull looks like a herbivore that's given up on running for their life. "I... Kinda think that's for the best though."

Kyoya blinks rapidly, standing up and offering his brother a hand. Skull shouldn't keep sitting on the kitchen floor, he's already sick... God, his brother is... Just a lot. "How so."  
Skull looks up at him, smiling faintly, otherwise, he looks like he could bawl all over again. "They... Make me so angry, Kyoya... All the time. It's exhausting to keep all that bottled up."  
Skull hangs his head, sighing again, but he also grabs Kyoya's hand and let's himself be pulled up. "I don't... Wanna fight with them either. I wish I could just... Quietly disappear."  
Kyoya steadies his brother, leading him over to sit by the table again. The miso soup is cold. How long were they cuddling? Or... bonding? What time is it? Kyoya has to take a moment to find his brain and then his voice. "You could just... Do that, you know. Disappear. I mean." 

Skull just flops forward, his head thunking onto the table, the weight of the world bearing down on his shoulders. He looks exhausted. "Can't run away from the world's strongest for long, Kyo..."  
Kyoya huffs faintly, sitting down next to his new Cloud and thinking of what to do. He is a Cloud himself and that's where his thought process starts. If he were in the same position as Skull, he'd ... He would...  
Kyoya blinks rapidly, an idea blossoming promptly. It's something he's always had in the back of his mind, as a backup plan in case Vongola doesn't turn out how he wants it to. "I think I know something that might just work." 

Everything quiets for a few moments as Skull processes this, which is actually very pleasant as they get to listen to the distant sounds of people returning home from patrol. Kyoya has to actively resist the urge to respond to his pompadour's greetings. Skull is still so silent, staring at him with unblinking eyes. Have they always been filled with a strangely... Soft, kind glow, that still somehow seems forged out of steel? Did Kyoya never look at his brother properly prior to this? What kind of thing has to happen for someone's dying will to... To become like _that?_  
Kyoya just blinks back at him. Skull then rubs a hand over his face, sighing very faintly. "Well... What's your idea..?" 

At that, Kyoya perks up, because he actually has several ideas. Specifically because he's a Cloud's and his loyalty is so heavily questioned, Kyoya made sure to have multiple backup plans. Just in case he gets bored of dealing with Vongola. One of these plans would do wonderfully in this situation~ "Okay, so here's what I was thinking..."  
And Kyoya explains his idea to his brother.  
It's honestly a fairly simple plan, not too complex, nothing too drastic. Just the right combination of Cloudy mischief and revenge to prove a point perhaps. Skull stares at him with big, shocked eyes for a bit. Then, he blinks slowly, smiling more and more, before shrugging lightly with a tiny, little vengeful grin. " You know what? I have nothing to lose. Fuckin... Sure, let's do that. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ye, imma be that biatch that keep the plans secret from you all.  
> Please don't be too mad! owo;


	7. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They don't find their Cloud, they find enlightenment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing about a group is a new experience for me I hope it turned out okay !

They reach the circus right as the sun dips below the horizon completely, but instead of being silent and asleep, it seems this place was just starting to wake up. It's... Very lively and colorful compared to the dark forest they just drove through.   
An evening show is starting with hundreds of civilians wandering into the huge, artfully illuminated tent that's set up at the center of the place. Most people employed here would already be inside and the rest are highly focused on fulfilling their respective tasks to make sure the show goes over smoothly.  
Nobody pays any mind to the six shadows that slip past them towards the private quaters.

Well, the nomadic lifestyle's equivalent to private quaters at least. Behind a row of shrubs and trees, just of to the side of the large tent there is a wide parking lot, just absolutely filled with all kinds of caravans and campavans. Some exclusively for transporting equipment, some for transporting life's necessities, like food and clothing. There is even a Communal shower and one caravan that is functionally a kitchen!  
But none of these hold their interest for long. 

What their focus is on is further in the back. The sleeping quaters. Personal rooms for each performer. And once they find that collection of vehicles, it's not much difficult to find the one that belongs to their Cloud.  
It's this one caravan attached to at the very end of an impressive line. The only one that's been painted a godawful purple, with 'The immortal Skull' spray painted messily on the side of it.   
The only surprise about it is that...  
Well. It looks kind of old and desolate? The paint is chipping of in several places and it looks like it's been in dire need of a car wash for years. The fact that the door is basically just an opaque, purple curtain isn't helping. 

The inside is a very different story, thankfully. Although, it lacks their Cloud and the disappointment is palpable for a moment. Then, the analyzing and snooping begins.  
The place is... Actually surprisingly pristine. Almost... Clinically so?   
Even with the walls covered in partially ripped, faded posters, little trinkets scattered on the bedside table and books stacked on the shelves, it feels... Empty, somehow.  
A TV set in one corner and photographs pinned to the walls next to the door. But... Other than that, it lacks a kind of personal touch.   
It takes them just a moment to realize that this place lacks their Cloud's usual warmth.   
They can't imagine their Skull ever having lived in this place. It feels too cold. Too foreign. They just... Can't imagine it. 

The next thing they all realize is that there is a notable lack of purple. Every other color of the rainbow is randomly displayed in some form. A blue trinket, some red book, a yellow poster, even some random splashes of different shades of greens and indigos on the metal walls. But no speck of purple, which just seems weird...   
Overall, there is nothing that indicates someone's currently living here. No random fast food packaging lying around, not even empty plastic bottles. The mini fridge is barren actually. The bed is empty, not even sheets placed on the bare mattress there. And all clothes have seemingly been plucked out of the wardrobe. 

Every surface of the room is covered in a thick layer of dust as well. Lal lightly swipes her hand along the spines of some of the books and the resulting cloud actually makes Verde sneeze. Sometimes they forget their lightning has that bothersome dust allergy...  
Ah well, Verde solves that issue by holding a handkerchief to his nose and mouth while they're all looking around, so it isn't much of a bother. 

Then, it's just them, looking around this small room. The drawers are empty, not much of a surprise after the wardrobe. They do find some loose change under the mattress, much to Mammon's delight.   
There are some... Magazines stashed under the bed as well and Fon is mildly scandalized when he finds the accompanying box of... Adult entertainment. Various kinds even. At first, Fon just doesn't know what he's even looking at, given that the concept of a sex toy is a little foreign to him. Then he turns tomato red and shoves the box back under the bed firmly. 

At that point, they take a brief break to mercilessly roast their storm over his inexperience.  
None of their words hold any real malice, of course. Fon's reactions of this topic have just always been something they could tease him about, given the Storm's notoriously flustered state about sexuality of any kind. Ah, the plight of a celibate martial artist.   
After that brief intermission, Collonello ends up being the one that unearths a strange cardboard box from a secret compartment inside the wardrobe. It contains a bunch of nearly ancient video tapes, which promptly get shoved into Colonello's backpack.   
Skull obvious isn't here, but maybe these tapes will give them any clue as to where their Cloud could have gone? 

So they try to figure out the ancient TV. It's a very, very old model, with the video tape player still being a part of the main machine, the display hardly 20 inches in diameter.  
Verde nearly pulls out his hair in frustration because the thing is very clearly defective!   
And in the middle of their Lightning's frustrated, sniffly grumbling, the curtains just behind them move slightly.  
The click of a gun draws their attention a second later.   
And a very low, calm voice speaks up, addressing them in heavily accented english. "Hands up where I can see them." 

Admittedly, snooping through Skull's supposed room left a bit of a sour taste in their mouths anyway.   
(Invading any Cloud's room doesn't feel right, even if Skull is the exact opposite of a traditional Cloud in almost every sense.)   
But if it's to find their probably very hurt and confused stuntman, they are willing to do almost anything. Even come face to face with what might be an old friend of their stuntman.  
And really, the lady looks about as eccentric as Skull, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise. 

For a woman that looks to be in her mid forties at least, she can definitely pull of the white blouse with poofy sleeves and frills, combined with her dark, earthy brown skirt that goes down to her ankles. She also has thick, fire red hair that goes down to her calves and is tied into a very thick ponytail with several leather belts. She has vivid green eyes and freckles across her pale cheeks and cute button nose. Perhaps an Irish woman? Her accent sounds French however... 

And she's slowly starting to frown, taking a step forward and leveling her shotgun at them. "What the fuck are you doin back here? This is private fuckin property!"   
Colonello speaks up first, probably just thinking of the top of his head at this point. "We're ... Uh. We're big fans of Skull's, kora. And... Just wanted to take a peek..?"   
Something softens in the woman's eyes, but she doesn't lower her gun yet. "Put down those tapes and get the fuck out. Then, we might get talkin." 

And they're really not here to fight some random circus entertainer.  
So, with some begrudging grumbling, they all get out of the caravan, leaving the tapes for Mammon to take along in secret.   
The woman is the last to hop out the caravan, pulling the curtain shut behind herself with a sharp movement and glaring at them all in that very disapproving manner only mothers tend to be able to. "Now. What the fuck made you think trespassin was in any way a good idea?" 

Reborn speaks this time, taking Colonello's excuse and running with it. The sunny bastard's lucky he's quick on his feet and manages to be semi convincing at least. Or maybe it's that charming, disarmingly apologetic smile he puts on, who knows. "Ma'am, as my friend said, we're huge fans of Skull de Morte. We couldn't resist the temptation."   
Surprisingly, the woman isn't immediate putty in his hands however. She narrows her eyes at them with a faint scoff. "I already heard that excuse a hundred times, kid! And it is still goddamn disrespectful either way!" 

She shoulders the shotgun then, putting her free hand on her hips and frowning at them as if they're some misbehaving children. Most of them actually feel a little chastised. Reborn just wonders about the audacity of this woman.  
Then, her voice softens a bit, tinged with a faint sorrow. "Don't go botherin the dead, you brats."  
And their confusion must have been visible somehow, because in the next moment, the woman frowns mildly. "What?"   
Then her eyes go wide in understanding and a little, mocking smile quirks her lips. Her smile is a little crooked, but not in that endearing way Skull's is sometimes. "You must be some of those new fans... 'course you'd be..." 

She shakes her head, still smiling mockingly, heaving a deep sigh then. "You aren't gonna get autographs this way, kids."   
She looks sorrowful again, ignoring their slowly building confusion. "Skull de Morte disappeared like 35 years ago, you know? Nobody ever found him. He's probably pretty dead by now."   
She says this softly, with a mild shrug, as if this is a conversations she's had a hundred times before. And she probably did. 

Verde finds his voice first, sounding a little breathless anyway. "Impossible."  
The woman gives them a sympathetic smile at that, shaking her head and making her red hair fluff up. "Most new fans get confused, don't be ashamed of that. What was it... cause he's holding the majority of the stunt world records, he just has to be around? Yeah right..."  
This time, her grin holds a strange kind of melancholic pride. "Nope, he's been holding them from beyond the grave for the last 36 years, actually."   
And isn't that just another revelation on top of the issue they have to digest right now? 

Because... Well, it has never even crossed their minds before that... That Skull could be declared dead to the civilain world. But... it makes sense. They were all thrown together 35 years ago. And... Skull hadn't really just been a simple civilian whisked away into the mafia.  
He had been a stuntman. An _internationally known_ stuntman. If he simply disappeared without a trace, of course he'd be declared dead eventually! It's just... A bit of a jarring realization...  
They hadn't thought of this. Why haven't they thought of this?  
Where... Where would Skull return to, now that they are no longer bound by the curse? After their bonds solidify and they part ways... What would their Cloud do?  
What could he possibly do? He's been declared dead for fuck's sake! How didn't they consider this?! 

And then there's the fact that apparently their notoriously arrogant Cloud has been holding multiple world records for decades, without ever mentioning anything about that. What the fuck... 

The woman speaks again, pulling them out of their collective shock. She looks very sympathetic at this point, giving them an almost pitying look. "Aw, c'mon, scrape your chins of the floor, kids. There's plenty of videos of him out there on the internet, we published all his best performances afterall. You can just check those out later. For Now... you should probably really leave. I don't want my Boss to send the hounds after you."  
They can only manage mute nods, as their mind is still reeling pretty intensely. At least, they manage to follow the mysterious woman, quietly wondering. 

Is... Is this the reason their Cloud disappeared..? Did he feel some kind of... Existential dread when he realised he has... Nowhere to return to..?   
Why didn't he tell them? Did he... even suspect he's been declared dead, or did he come here and find out the hard way, like they just did?  
If that's the case... Did... Did their Cloud just... give up on returning to his civilian life in general..? Does Skull honestly think they would have just left him hanging like that?  
With no family, no home, nowhere to be and nobody who'd need him?  
The thought is a painful one, a stinging, sharply burning sensation settling into the still gaping holes in the cores of their souls.

Then, the woman speaks again, capturing their flighty attention. When did they reach the archway at the front of the circus? "My name's Spitfire, by the way. I used to preform with Skull way back when."  
She turns to them, nodding towards their car. "Now, kindly fuck off. Don't come back, unless you bother to get tickets first."  
Keeping in mind that Skull would absolutely hate them if they attacked the rude woman, their only option is to leave for now.  
Anyway, their armored vehicle is a bit of a godsend, because the moment they all get in, the panic hits. 

_**Where** is their Cloud right now?? _  
If he isn't here, goofing away with his circus friends, where did he go?  
Is he okay? Is he safe? Does he have access to shelter, food, clean water? Is he just isolating himself somewhere to sulk? Or did this cut him deep enough that he'd-he'd-  
Would... Would their Skull... give up on living altogether... because of this?  
.......   
They can't think like that. Skull is one of them. One of the I Prescelti Sette. One of the chosen seven Strongest in the entire world.

Nothing can destroy them to the point they would give up on life. They are solitary, powerful and _this would not break their Cloud!  
Skull is **fine!** _

.....   
Except...  
When Lal and Colonello were kicked out of COMSUBIN due to mafia affiliation, they had each other. They weren't alone. 

When Reborn can't hold himself above waters just doing freelance stuff during hard times, he can always take jobs from Vongola or Cavallone. Those Familigas are basically his own. 

When Fon gets sick of Italy and all the various things that get his blood pressure high, he can always return to China. That place is his home and biggest comfort. 

When Verde traps himself in his laboratory for weeks on end, he has those cute little robots to take care of him and all his needs. Those things are basically programmed to love him. 

And when Mammon feels bored, they can just go and get themselves a few missions from the Varia. The weak bond they have to that sky is still world's more fulfilling than anything Luce or Aria ever offered.

... Who does Skull have to take care of him like that?  
That Carcassa mafia Reborn forced him into? Their Cloud didn't have a choice in that.  
But that's what's been his main pastime for decades now, right? When they aren't doing something together, they always suspected Skull would just be lazying around in that strange blimp of his.   
But... Skull needs family right now. Someone that is home, comfort and safety.   
_Family_ is something you **choose** to stay with. A mafia familiga you've been forced to join isn't a proper support system!   
...   
They were the ones that took that choice away from him, weren't they..? 

And now, this guilt is eating them alive...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is very welcomed, please and thank you!  
> Comments are extremely motivating tbh so thank you to anyone that keeps commenting!  
> I'll take the time to read and answer everyone soon!


	8. A shadow on the horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull thinks about stuff. Kyoya just wants to have a clear schedule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is gonna be a bit in this is where Skull is reading stuff in the Arcobaleno group chat! He chose the names. :3
> 
> Half an Idiot - Lal Mirch  
> Other half of Idiot - Colonello  
> Greedy Brat - Mammon  
> Smiley Creep - Fon  
> Certified Bastard - Reborn  
> Bastard with a degree - Verde  
> Sky part 3 - Yuni
> 
>  **WARNING:** mild description of a wound during a panic attack!

Its been a brief while since Skull last found himself standing on top of a roof for the sole purpose of stalking someone.  
Most of the time, when he hangs out on rooftops, he's there to relax. He'd be lounging about, enjoying the view, or, if he's feeling particularly philosophical, maybe contemplating life, death and the crushing weight of his existential dread.  
But, when he's stalking prey, that's another story entirely. There is no lounging around involved with that. Because when Skull stalks prey, be they bigoted filth, or vile criminals, he does it to corner and neutralize them.  
And if that just so happens to often involve hunting down a car going 70 miles an hour, on foot, well... Skull isn't gonna snitch on himself to anybody. 

And anyway, that all is completely different from what he's doing right now! Skull isn't stalking his baby with any sort of malicious intent. He's just doing it cause he's worried! And kind of excited!  
Because Kyoiya is on a date! And Skull gets to watch it all unfold!  
So he pulls his attention back to the present, locking eyes with Kyoya briefly as he focuses on his baby Cloud again.  
Okay... Kyoya is 100% aware he's watching at least. And he didn't tell him to leave yet, either. So this must be fine! And from the fact Kyoya simply puffs up a bit in indignation, cute pout and all, Skull can only imagine what is going through that pretty head of his. Probably something along the lines of 'I don't need a babysitter!'. 

Anyway, this random outing on a Friday afternoon was, supposedly, just to work on a school project. A meeting for Kyoya and his project partner to organize and line up schedules to work on some major presentation that could make or break their graduation. Said project partner just so happens to be one Sasagawa Ryohei.  
Apparently this isn't the first time this happened either! According to Kyoya's grumbling, it's been happening ever since they both first started Middle school. They have worked on and submitted up to 30 projects. _Together!_ With minimal manslaughter!  
(Also, just the sheer audacity and balls of steel any teacher must have to continuously do this? Skull has mad respect for that.) 

Back on track! This is a date. No matter what Kyoya says. Every way Skull looks at it, it's just a date!  
Skull saw the way Kyoya picked out his outfit to look particularly cuddly. A white dress shirt, black pants, the whole shebang.  
(On some level, Skull is well aware that it's just Kyoya's normal uniform. It's more so about the fact Kyoya stood in front of his closet for about an hour, just to pick it out. It was freaking adorable!)

He even saw Kyoya attempt to fuss about with his hair and get all frowny about it, before just leaving it be in a bit of a huff.  
(Beautiful. Gorgeous. Drop dead handsome. Kyoya could probably go out the house with a bedhead and he'd still be an absolute looker!) 

And then there's the fact they met up at a Cafe and that Sasagawa-kun chose both of their drinks with confidence that clearly stems from familiarity!  
(Most people would guess Kyoya to be a tea drinker. And he is, during school days. In the afternoon though? Ryohei was wise to order him a simple coca cola.) 

By now they were just comparing schedules and working stuff out. Chatting quietly, grumbling about it when their schedules won't line up, even talking briefly about their private lives! Uuuuuuugh. Skull ships it so hard! They are adorable toegther!  
Especially when, every now and then, Ryohei just quietly goes "That's so extreme." about stuff on Kyoya's schedule and it always catches his baby Cloud of guard! Every single time! There's just this millisecond of mild confusion, the way Kyoya subtly widens his eyes and his lips go thin with mild annoyance, before he snaps back to himself and has to resist rolling his eyes.  
Yep, that confirms it. Kyoya cannot deal with compliments. At all. 

Ryohei even manages to make him blush once! Kyoya flushes the faintest pink when Ryohei laughs at him.  
(Kyoya did kind of mess up first so he can't be mad. He was way too focused on their paper stuff and took a sip of an empty cup, only to then get mad with the lack of liquid and just glare at the poor thing for like a solid three seconds. Again, adorable.)  
Skull giggles lightly when a tiny quarrel breaks out, something about training in different places. Those dorks... 

Then, one of his phones starts vibrating and his mood takes an abrupt dive after he's fished it out of his pocket. Cause it's the sleek black one, the expensive beauty that doesn't fit in with his style. Impractical for his pockets and just a tad too large for his hands to hold comfortably.  
His su-... Reborn threw it at him a while ago, the last time Skull had attempted to leave before the Vongola Tenth generation was a thing.  
Apparently, the hitman just assumed Skull was stupid and poor or something? Reborn genuinely seemed to think Skull just couldn't afford a phone to contact them with. 

It was amusing at the time, but then... Reborn started shooting at him when Skull laughed.  
And he kept shooting and shooting until Skull _couldn't_ dodge one of the bullets and it _lodged into_ his leg and _ripped through_ the veins and muscles **red hot** and _it **fucking left a scar** on **his** body. It's a **Brand.** And he **can't get it off.** And it's there, **mocking** him, telling him they're **under his skin** and he can do **nothing** about it and, and, and-_

.......  
It's a beautiful day. That Cafe looks cozy. The sky is clear and bright blue. Kyoya isn't wearing his gakuran today cause it's so hot. Ryohei ordered way too much cake for Kyoya to eat all of it.  
The roof's concrete under his fingertips is rough. The sun is warm on the top of his head. The velvety inside of his suit feels pleasant. There is a little tickle on the very tip of his nose.  
There's the sound of chatter drifting up to him from the Cafe. Hibird is chirping nearby. The distant sounds of cars echoes all around them.  
He can smell all sorts of cake and coffee from the Cafe, even a whif of freshly baked bread. And there's the tiniest hint of Kyoya's sweet, earthy scent in there as well.  
When he licks his lips, Skull can taste his blue berry lipbalm.  
........ 

Only a handful of people know this private number even exists. He kept the phone and new phone number solely to avoid giving his _colleagues_ one of his actual numbers. And they have been spamming him whenever they have the time as of late in seems...  
Curiosity wins out in the end and Skull unlocks the phone. He feels a tiny, little, sadistic zing of satisfaction as he watches the number of missed calls and unread messages rise.  
Apparently, even little Yuni and Fon have joined in to spit word vomit about friendship and family at him in the group chat. Huh. 

The messages come far too fast for him to read them all in the little notification bar, but he gets the general gist of it.  
They're searching him. They've just been to his circus. They met Spitfire and she's been rude. Yada Yada Yada.  
Then it's just more of the usual threats to pick up his phone and just talk to them already. By now, they should all know he won't, but this is a nice confirmation that Kyoya's plan has actually worked as intended. Skull has some more room to breathe if they are searching him in Argentina right now... 

Then... They mention security tapes and Skull has to pause for a moment and think that through. Hm. His circus family did mention that they kept the old security footage in his former bedroom... It shouldn't be much of an issue anyway. Kyoya's plan is fool proof as long as Skull doesn't contact them back.  
He... still reads as much of the messages as he is able to whenever they come in, never once opening his messenger app.  
He's curious, dang it! 

/  
Half an Idiot: You started out as a clown. are you serious.  
Other half of Idiot: XD omg it fits tho!   
Certified Bastard: the humiliation fits.  
/

Skull rolls his eyes mildly, huffing faintly then. Of course his rains-... No, Lal and Colonello, would think being a clown fits him. Those two would never experience the kind of joy that blooms in an entertainer's heart when people literally light up and beam at you the moment you step into a room. Skull knows that fluttery, exciting happiness intimately. Their teasing won't damped his opinion of that!  
And that's not even mentioning how ridiculous and unimportant the comment hi-their sun gave is!

They give some more commentary on his clowning days in the circus, but soon, things move on. Skull knows the security cameras caught a bunch of his nightly Training sessions. He never minded that, it's just how it is.  
What surprises him a little, is that the others are momentarily shocked about it by the looks of it. 

/  
Certified Bastard: Lackey, if you already knew how to bend that way we could've used that in training.  
Smiley Creep: I didn't know u could do that Skull ((+_+)) GG~ (≧∇≦)/  
Bastard with a degree: 😳🤔😡😠  
Smiley Creep: Verde pls use ur words (；一_一)  
Bastard with a degree: Are you serious. You are asking me to use words? No. Learn proper punctuation and spelling yourself!  
Smiley Creep: Nvr (^_-)-☆  
Bastard with a degree: 🖕  
Other half of Idiot: omfg shut up.  
Other half of Idiot: Also When did all this happen?! Like how old was he?? He looks young! :O  
Half an Idiot: It happened 1980.  
Other half of Idiot: ! o0o how did you know that?? <3  
Half an Idiot: It says the date in the corner of the screen.  
Greedy Brat: ...  
Smiley Creep: .....  
Bastard with a degree: ........  
Certified Bastard: lol  
Other half of Idiot: TmT  
Sky part 3: I am going to have to mute you while doing paperwork, aren't I?  
Certified Bastard: Go ahead.  
Certified Bastard: 🙂  
Sky part 3: Behave yourselves please. ^^;  
Greedy Brat: I got more tapes. Pay up.  
/

Skull just sighs a small bit, turning off his phone at that point and putting it away. He was never a part of all their banter. Not in the way they all are at least.  
It's a bit weird to miss something he never had in the first place... But it's an emotion he's becoming more familiar with nowadays.  
Kyoya told him that it might have something to do with his mild Stockholm syndrome and Skull is starting to feel fairly certain that there's some truth in that. So he doesn't act on the impulse to respond to any of their messages. Any of the validation they would have to offer would be empty at best anyway. 

Ah, on the topic of Kyoya, let's get back on track-  
Aaaaaand he's missed it. Frick.  
Sasagawa-kun seems to have left a while ago, since its just Kyoya sitting down there now, reading over whatever schedule they'd managed to work out.  
Skull just sighs, jumping off the roof and landing briefly on the balconies' railings on the way down, bouncing feather-lightly from railing to railing until he can just drop to the ground smoothly.  
Kyoya doesn't bother looking up at him when Skull drops into the free chair at his table, but he does push a piece of strawberry shortcake across the table to him. 

Skull quietly eats some bites, letting his mind wander around a bit, absentmindedly reaching up a hand and brushing his fingers lightly over his pierced ear.  
The movement catches Kyoya's attention and he tilts his head a tiny bit, inquisitive. "I've been wondering about that. Why do you have piercings."  
Skull's eyes snap up from his cake and he blinks at Kyoya's once, before his eyes drift up to the sk. It's way too sunny. The sky is too blue. The air too humid. Annoying. "The same reason I love wearing make up, I guess. It feels rebellious and messes with people." 

Kyoya blinks once, then his eyes drop back to his future schedule, humming mildly. "Rebellion is important to you. Hm..."  
It's not quite a question, but Skull can tell there is some residual confusion, so he tries to clarify. "Why would I let societal norms dictate what I do with my body? It's... Mine."  
Kyoya nods lightly at that, looking at him properly then. Those kind, grey eyes that just see him. Like a cloudy sky. No hint of that burning, bright blue. "Do whatever you want. Do the piercings mean anything specific?"  
Skull sighs a small bit, thinking for a moment. "No, not really. My tattoos mean something though..." 

Kyoya shrugs lightly "What tattoos do you have and what do they mean."  
Skull smiles then, even chuckling a little bit. "Well, I mainly got symbolic stuff on me. To signify where I've been. The circus, Carcassa, the Clan... Things like that. And just an octopus, because I goddamn love those slippery dudes."  
Kyoya's eyes widen the smallest bit and he blinks somewhat rapidly. There might even be a hint of aimless desperation in his voice. "Wait, where is your animal partner."  
Skull blinks slowly at that, smiling more bit by bit and almost cooing then. Kyoya's general concern for animals' safety is another endearing quality, honestly. "Don't worry. Oodako is safe... We made a deal ages ago. Whenever I'm busy doing something dangerous, he'll stay put in the nearest body of water. Right now... I guess he'd be just off the coast, or at the Namimori Harbour."

One can almost see how Kyoya visibly deflates with relief, his shoulders relaxing, with a little breath rushing out of him like that. It's rather beautiful how that just happens. "That's a relief. Will he stay put indefinitely?"  
Skull can only shrug as an answer, because really, how would he know what exactly his bestie is up to right now? "Probably. He's pretty independent. We don't have to worry."  
Kyoya nods a bit, standing up after a moment of consideration then. "Time to go home. Come, Niichan."  
Skull simply smiles. "Yeah. Let's go." 

And really, that would have been a nice ending to their day. Just get home, get settled and cook dinner, maybe snuggle up somewhere and talk about the universe...  
Said universe doesn't agree though.  
As is shown by the ominous shadow drifting through the sky towards Namimori slowly. Skull notices it just as the setting sun glares off of sleek, black metal. His stomach tightens and his heart starts racing.  
It took him one look and he immediately recognizes the black octopus printed on the side of the monstrosity that's just beginning to dip out of the sky slowly. "Oh fuck-"

Kyoya stands besides him, staring up at the airship with a tight little frown to his lips. "That is.... Niichan. What's the meaning of this."  
Skull can only managed a mildly hysterical giggle, confronted like this with Kyoya's ire and that looming threat. "Baby Cloud..." 

"This might actually throw a bit of a wrench into our plan..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuff is happening at home! All while the Arcobaleno aren't there to help in any way!


	9. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes are realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a longer time to get right but I think I managed!
> 
> Also! Shout out to Master_Torch_Master and cranio_immortale for giving me the idea for this chapter!
> 
> All of you guys rock!

It takes them two hours to reach the nearest available safe house, which happens to be a cozy I-house in some random city. And no, they are not going to question why Verde, of all people, has a house in Argentina. Or why that safe house is a house at all and not one of their lightning's many laboratories. It's useful right now and that's all that matters.  
They need some peace and quiet to recuperate. All of them had gotten close to raging earlier today and none of them want to talk about it.  
(Usually it would be their Cloud that starts most conversations about emotions. No matter how awkward and clumsy those rare few conversations might have been, they were one of the very few reasons they hadn't yet killed each other a long time ago.) 

The shock of today's events is still lingering in their systems. Everyone is still on edge. It obvious in the way Fon is already on his fourth cup of tea, while Reborn is downing his third espresso by now. Lal and Colonello are repeating their gun maintenance once again, Verde is fiddling about with a rubix cube, even Mammon has been pacing back and forth restlessly.  
All of them need to focus on something else.  
(Something that isn't this festering realization that they really just _don't know_ their Cloud all that well. Reborn doesn't even know his likes, or dislikes. Trivial things like Skull's favorite color, dessert, or season... Really anything! None of them know and it's uncomfortable. Because Skull is supposed to be theirs. Lackey, Cloud, Family, whatever, but he is theirs. Nothing can ever change that! Nothing!) 

They need a distraction. And wouldn't you know, but the TV here is just old enough that they can check out the tapes they stole. Not that Mammon makes that very easy. 1500 Euro for every tape... Whatever. They all got enough cash on them anyway.  
(Would Mammon have charged as much if Skull was here? Even the greedy Mist tended to lower their prizes whenever the Cloud was present. Not that Skull wouldn't have gladly paid whatever just to make Mammon happy. Yeah. Their Cloud is that special kind of naive.)

So they end up in another pile, this time on the large couch.  
With Reborn, Lal and Verde taking up the three seater, Mammon sitting on the backrest and Fon and Colonello sitting on the ground before them and leaning back into them. It was comfortable and just about the only way they wouldn't be painfully aware of their missing piece.  
(Skull would have tried to lounge over their laps on the three seater and they would have pushed him down to the ground eventually. Which would've set Skull off and he'd pout and glare and frown...  
And Reborn would have to seriously bite his tongue, just so he wouldn't offer the adorably fuming Cloud to just sit on his lap instead.)

Of course, the moment they get comfortable, their phones come out and they begin texting back and forth. Mostly out of an empty sort of hope that, if one of them just says the right thing, some kind of answer would come from Skull. Some kind of explanation.  
Even if it never did, it's somewhat cathartic anyway. And it let's them keep an eye on Yuni while they're traveling as well. They're unlikely to stop anytime soon, all things considered.  
Mammon already put in the first tape when they were all getting comfy and, after a second of deliberation, they're even kind enough to pass Reborn the remote.  
The sun switches the TV on and a lot of info hits them all at once. 

First, these are security tapes.  
Second, the camera was directed at the center of the barren stage of that circus.  
Third, that stage is mostly empty because it was nighttime or late evening by the looks of it.  
Lastly, that there is their Cloud in full on Jester garb... 

Heavy make up, dual colored clothes, even the curly tipped shoes and one of those jingling jester caps!  
Those lively, bright eyes and that radiant grin.... Even if he looked different... That 100% is their Cloud! 

A beat of silence passes over them, watching in quiet awe of sorts as the younger version of their stuntman attempts to hop onto a large, inflated ball. Skull completely misjudged everything and promptly ended up flat on his ass on the floor, sending the ball flying, and knocking over another circus performer entirely. Another beat of silence passes, Video-Skull instantly bouncing up and over, fretting over the other person.

Then, Colonello bursts into laughter first, followed by Lal and Mammon's snickering. Verde almost manages to remain stone faced, but then Fon starts to shake with the effort of keeping quiet and soon all of them are dissolved into laughter of their own. Even Reborn has to bite his lip to be quiet. He doesn't quite manage, but that's okay. Everyone is way too focused on the video and typing on their phones anyway.   
Reborn sends of a quick, teasing text himself, mainly for old time's sake.  
(Just because they can't find Skull right now, doesn't mean they can't tease him. He's their Cloud and they just learned something new about him. Something that just so happens to be hilarious. And it's peaceful, watching Skull struggle to get on top of a simple ball, snuggled up together... It's almost enough to soothe the near constant ache in their souls.)

The tape ends just when Skull finally managed to stand on top of the ball, grinning broadly and putting his hands on his hips arrogantly. It makes him tip over again, but the camera cuts out then, so they don't get to see that glorious fall.  
After a second to huff about that, Fon gets up and attempts to switch out the tapes. Verde goes to help after a moment, since their Storm is pretty useless when it comes to most technology. It's still weird that he's the only one of them that figured out how to text those weird faces...  
(Skull never used emojis himself. When their Cloud had wanted to convey an emotion, he would always just send a selfie or a quick video. Reborn might have saved one or two of the more adorably pouty ones...) 

The second video starts, same place, roughly same time oh night, focusing in on a lone figure standing in between two mannequins, doing some rather advanced stretching...  
And Reborn's brain kind of flatlines for a second, because, well.  
**DAMN** , Skull looks good in just sweatpants and a tank top! 

There an even younger version of their Cloud stood, wearing loose, green sweat pants and a black tank top, showing of his muscular, tanned arms. Skull was positioned in the middle of the stage and soon started going through a series of high and low kicks against the mannequins.  
The tank top very nicely showed that there was actually some muscle definition on this version of their Cloud! It's also a definite plus that teenaged Skull seemed to have skipped painting his face with makeup.  
Their stuntman's usual make up would have definitely ruined the fierce look in this young _Cloud's_ eyes. Because that's what this young man appears to be. Every bit the Cloud that Skull had never been... 

There's this certain kind of fury in the way he hammers down over and over onto those mannequins...  
This actually seems to be the endless stamina Clouds are so well known and revered for... Skull is overflowing with rage right there and coping with it through what might as well be a fist fight! There is no timidness, no hesitation, none of the reluctance they know so well from their Skull when it comes to battle.  
(Why did he whine and complain when Reborn started training him? If it hadn't been the fact it was fighting afterall... Was it something Reborn did? Was he too harsh on the younger Cloud? Couldn't be... Skull is _**the** strongest Cloud _. He shouldn't have just endure it, he should have been able to flourish under some rougher training!)__

__Judging by this video, Skull's fighting style was a relentless barrage, right up until the wooden mannequin on his left shattered under a roundhouse kick, which apparently set this Cloud off to unleash hell on the other mannequin. The second one splintered under the force he used almost instantaneously, ground down under the Cloud's boots as the young man seemed to snarl out his rage, before abruptly simmering down and turning towards the camera.  
Reborn almost growls when that woman, Spitfire, bounces onto the scene. She was young then, roughly the same age as their teenaged Cloud, and perhaps equally as attractive as him. She easily pounced over to him and chattered away about something nonsensical immediately. _ _

__Reborn doesn't quite understand why seeing that woman hugging onto his Cloud's arm ignites his rage. Maybe its the way an unusual tenderness hides away the new and interesting fierceness in those purple eyes, or the way a soft, happy smile smooths over the attractive twist of those pale lips.  
It's an expression of affectionate happiness. It seemed his Skull was flirting with that circus freak. Smiling like that, letting her hold onto him, talking to her...  
Reborn has never seen that look on Skull's face before. Seeing it directed at some random girl, really makes his blood boil... _ _

__The remote creaks in his tight grasp, but he doesn't care. Luckily Colonello just about manages to reach up a hand, snatching the remote from him and fast forwarding the scene then. The tape ends just as both performers look up and smile brightly at someone off screen.  
The silence following that tape is awkward for everyone involved.  
It's already rare for their sun to show any emotion aside from mild annoyance and sadistic glee... So seeing him almost fuming is... disturbing. It gets even worse when Reborn then proceeds to snark at Yuni over text. They gotta do something.  
So Lal pays Mammon immediately to escape the awkwardness and they easily put in another random tape._ _

__It was nighttime again, which was just a given, apparently. The cameras were only switched on at night, it seems  
This tape, also drops them in the middle of a scene... _ _

__Skull was standing there with Spitfire by his side, watching over a third person. It was the guy from the first video, the one Skull knocked over and fretted about immediately back then. They know it's that guy because he had bright hair and a distinct, slender face, recognizable even in the old black and white videos. This time around, he was wearing a bright outfit._ _

__They were all just a bit more grown up than both the previous videos. They all seem at least some years older in this one actually.  
The guy in the flashy outfit, was preforming some flips, and they watch as he repeated one that ended in a handstand, then dropped into a bridge, before bouncing back upright onto his feet right after. It already looks complex, like it'd require a ton of focus to pull that of properly.  
So it really wasn't much of a surprise that, when suddenly a fourth person appeared, the guy startled. He slipped off of his palms and awkwardly smacked his head into the group, together with a soundless yelp. _ _

__The reaction and shift in atmosphere was immediate, with Spitfire launching off her heels to land by her fallen colleague instantly and Skull snapping sideways abruptly and immediately putting himself between the two performers and this new person.  
Skull was facing the camera and the intruder had his back turned to it. But it isn't like any of them would ever forget that ridiculous, checkered hat... _ _

__Checkerface..._ _

__He seriously stole Skull away from his circus like that? That's just... cruel.  
Skull is a Cloud, however unconventional he may be, and he's obviously attached himself to these people. They might've even been territory at the time... at the very least, they were close friends. _ _

__Spitfire scowled at Checkerface right away, keeping the smaller guy behind herself and tensing up, clearly prepared to brawl for her friends' safety. None of the videos have any audio, so they resort to lip reading instead._ _

__'What in the fuck is your issue you bastard?! Who even are you!?'_ _

__And then the whole situation dissolved into chaos when a fifth person showed up from a whole other entrance, looking concerned and vaguely upset. Just this huge man, build like a tank, but with a softness in his eyes and a face that screams of innocence. Typical civilian bodybuilder, honestly.  
Reborn was about to roll his eyes as these civilians started flailing around in fury and panic, but Skull stepped forward in that moment. And everyone's attention snapped to the young Cloud. _ _

__**Holy Fuck** their Cloud was fucking _sneering_ at Checkerface! The normally soft, pouty expression was firmly set to an _absolutely furious glare_. The Cloud seemed to be _outright growling_ at the non-human!  
Skull wasn't taking his eyes off of Checkerface for even a second, not even when he seemed to address the people he was _still_ shielding._ _

__'Bear, grab the twins. _ **This fucker's mine.** '_ __

____

__

____

__.... Wait.  
Just from lip reading Reborn can tell Skull nearly _snarled_ those words!  
On top of that, the stuntman was radiating an aura that fucking _demanded_ obedience!  
So of course the civilians followed that order without a hitch, right? Nope, that idiotic circus freak, Spitfire, struggled as hard as she could while the bulky man dragged her of!_ _

__

__But Skull's eyes never left Checkerface, even after the performers had finally left. There was no smile on his lips...  
Skull was literally just staring at him, tension thrumming through him, his eyes narrowing further. _ _

__

__'What do you want with me.'_ _

__

__Whatever Checkface responded to that, Skull recoiled from it, disgust showing clearly on his face. There was some kind of outrage in him when he growled out his next words._ _

__

__'Who the fuck-'_ _

__

__Checkerface took a step forward then, cutting their Cloud off and causing Skull to step back automatically. Keeping distance between himself and a threat... Unusually logical almost.  
They have also never seen that kind of expression on their Cloud's face.  
It's very different from the panic or fear that they expected. Its some mix of _anger, distrust, outrage and disgust_. There isn't a single a hint of hesitation. _ _

__

__'Who the fuck are you.'_ _

__

__Checkerface calmly bowed even in the face of Skull's distrust, probably pitching his offer right about then and it made them sick to their stomachs. Each of them clearly remember that stupid offer...  
__  
They were... Naive or maybe too hopeful to trust the man-in-the-iron-mask back then...  
Skull on the other hand, well. His response was instantenous and... It seemed to surprise even their Cloud himself. ___ _

__

____**'Fuck no.'** _ _ _ _

__

____A moment passed in which neither of the two moved, then Skull went _off.__ _ _ _

__

_____'Whatever the fuck you think you're doing, no! Just-no! I'm not gonna go anywhere-'_ _ _ _ _

__

_____Checkerface probably cut him of at that point, maybe he even threatened their tense Cloud.  
Whatever it is he said or did then...  
**Skull fucking snapped.**_ _ _ _ _

__

______Their Cloud **fucking pounced** on Checkerface, actually seeming to **catch him off guard** and **ramming his fists** into that bastard's stupid face!  
**Skull managed to down that fucker!**  
And then he even managed to escape! Skull goddamn ran away! _ _ _ _ _ _

__

______**WHAT THE FUCK?!** _ _ _ _ _ _

__

_____.... What the hell. No just. What? How did that happen? Did that really just happen?! How the hell did Skull manage that?! That's impossible. Absolutely not. No._ _ _ _ _

__

_____Most of them were just in quiet shock!  
That is... Right up until _Reborn_ goddamn chuckled in amusement! They took a second to compose themselves, seeing as their their bastard sun was _smirking_ at the screen in that proud, arrogant way of his. The same way he smirks when Tsuna or Dino turn the tide of a battle and force a win against all odds. "Lackey has been keeping secrets, hm?"  
And honestly? After a second to think on it, that just made the most sense. _ _ _ _ _

__

_____Of course Skull would've been able to outmatch Checkerface!  
He is _their Cloud!  
**Their Skull** , the most powerful, most glorious Cloud to exist in this century alone! _  
And-  
And... _ _ _ _ _

__

______He's left them.... Didn't he?  
Skull used to be this powerful and bold back before they even knew him... Who knows how much stronger he's grown to be over the years while they were blind to it...  
It's... Highly unlikely anyone would've ever managed to pull their Cloud away from them against his will...  
That leaves just one option to what could've happened, doesn't it? _ _ _ _

__

_____If Skull wasn't taken by force... He must've left willingly... But they know their Cloud well enough to know that his loyalty isn't easily swayed, so..._ _ _ _ _

_____Oh fuck, they... They pushed him away, didn't they?  
With their insistence that he's the weakest, their blindness to their fellow Arcobaleno's power, their _fucking years of blatant disregard and bullying_! _ _ _ _ _

_____Fuck..._ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Wednesday I have a mini chapter to post, basically just a handful of words on the aftermath of this chapter tbh. So watch out for that~
> 
> As always!  
> If anyone is horribly out of character or there are other things to critique, constructive criticism is very welcomed! Comments in general are highlyh appreciated!


	10. Cookies and Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baking is hard. Pining is hard.  
> Lal is getting tired of these men's problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff before I ruin these guys' whole life!

Colonello has been in the kitchen for three hours now and, at this point, he doesn't need anymore fucking convincing.  
Skull has to be at least as much of a bastard as Reborn!  
Who in their right freaking mind would rip out the chocolate chip cookie section in a recipe book and replace it with a fucking handwritten note!? In _Russian?!_ None of them ever bothered to learn the incoherent scrawl that is Russian cursive! 

_'½ стакана сахара + ¾ стакана коричневого сахара + 1 чайная ложка соли + ½ стакана масла + яйцо,_  
_1 ¼ стакана муки + ½ чайной ложки пищевой соды,_  
_1 чайная ложка ванильного экстракта + плитка светлого шоколада + плитка темного шоколадa~'_

These are their favourite cookies! The exact ones that Skull used to make them after every successful mission! Chewy, a wonderful addition to any fruits, ice cream, or honey, just the right amount of sweetness, absolutely incomparable when paired with milk...  
These are **godly** , okay?!  
But Colonello doesn't know what ingredients to use, or what order to mix them in! He can't read a single word of this!

.... You'd think he'd give up there, right? That he wouldn't even bother trying, huh?  
Well, fuck that! He's watched Skull bake these countless of times! So even if not having a recipe is frustrating, he _knows_ how to do this! 

\---------

"What is this supposed to be, Nello."  
".... It's cookies."  
"No, that's charcoal."  
Colonello thumbs his head on the table in response, grumbling lowly. "At least give 'em a try, kora..."  
Reborn raises an eyebrow, pointedly look at the tray fill of black clumps. How did their rain even get them that charred without setting of the fire alarm? "I'm not trying to get food poisoning."  
And just for the hell of it, Reborn takes a bite of his espresso ice cream.  
Yes, Reborn bites his ice cream. Like the chaotic heathen he is. Everyone collectively cringes every single time.  
(Everyone, except Skull. Who always liked straight up crunching on ice cubes, which was even worse.  
...He used to do that whenever Reborn was having ice cream... Why?) 

Predictably, Colonello twitches and Lal purses her lips and glances up from her laptop, both of them throwing him a disapproving glare.  
He takes another bite. Just to make sure they know he didn't do it by accident. He also throws a pointed look at the tray. His tone is mocking, almost cruel. "Did you even try?"  
Colonello frowns and straightens up then. "Hey, i did something at least. You've just been sitting on your ass, pining like a bitch, kora!"  
Reborn's immediate instinct is to bounce the insults right back. "I am not nearly as bad as you whenever Lal leaves." 

Well.... That just made the whole situation awkward. It might be the closest Reborn's ever gotten to openly admitting his feelings to... himself.  
It's... Not comfortable...

Luckily Lal is violently anti-awkward. "If you two are done bitching at each other, take a look at this."  
And they do. They end up looking at a Wikipedia page. It's... Huh.  
Lal is seriously just... Googling Skull, hm?  
Reborn gives her an unimpressed look, but Lal just moves the mouse to highlight a few lines. What else would they do but read them? 

'Skull De Morte is the legendary Stuntman known as 'The one that Death hates'. With the most rapid ascension to fame ever recorded in the history of extreme sports, he has very well earned his place in the Hall of Fame.  
Within just ten months, this former trapeze artist, rose among the ranks through his stellar performances in these stunts: His climbs of the highest Towers any town had to offer, Breaking several speed records in various modified vehicles, Wingsuiting through Mountain ranges and, of course, his legendary jump over 6 loaded 18-Wheelers while his right arm was restrained! Additionally.... '

That is really all they needed to read. Colonello is the first to find his voice again. "... World famous in... In ten months... Are you serious."  
Lal just gives a mild sigh, having already gone through all the shock a few moments ago. "This isn't even the best source. But the newspaper articles I found give an even crazier estimate. Eight months at most, six months of active stunt work at least." 

That mostly snapped him out of his shock, instead, going off about it now. "No wait, that's a physical impossibility, kora. From what this says, he must've traveled constantly while doing stunt work! He would've burned himself out within weeks, kora."  
Lal gives a tired sigh, opening another window and just clicking through several pictures of newspaper clippings. "These were official headlines in the USA, Italy, UK, hell, he was even in germany-" 

Honestly, Reborn isn't even listening to the quarreling rains. He is... Distracted by this certain photograph. In that wiki article, they colored in a picture of Skull from back then and, for some reason, Reborn finds himself absolutely transfixed.  
Straddling that familiar, purple vehicular monstrosity like he was hand crafted to do so. Fully decked out in his familiar, purple bodysuit. The white helmet off and in his hands, throwing the camera a teasing grin that's somehow sharp. More so a smirk than a smile.  
There is an attractive flush of extortion on his cheeks, sweat beading on his forehead, his piercings dull in comparison to the wetness of his purple lips...  
But the most captivating thing has to be Skull's eyes. In this picture, they must've caught the sun, because they're practically _glowing_.  
A blazing forest inferno, glittering with the sort of liveliness and will to life that other people lose the first time they run into the mildest inconvenience. Yet, according to the timeline they're piecing together here... Skull was on the run from Checkerface when this picture was taken...

It's said the eyes are the windows to the soul... All Reborn sees is a man that's stubborn as a mule, full of spite, absolutely willing to turn his back on the world, if that's what it takes to carve his own path...  
There is something incredibly free in these eyes. Something unbreakable. Something all consuming. It's chaotic.  
(Reborn isn't any good with denial.)

Dammit all to hell! Reborn has always been a **slut** for Chaos!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reborn is a pining extraordinaire~
> 
> Edit:  
> Skull: Hello dear readers! I asked the author to let me pop in real quick so I can explain my secret note !  
> It's a list of the ingredients I like to use, but the real cookie-goodness starts with you and how you make them!   
> The secret in baking, is to do it for someone you love! It's perfectly okay if that person is yourself, too. It's what I do.  
> There's also various guides on the internet how to bake the perfect chewy cookies! If you want my own tips, I can ask Author to let me chitchat to you like this again!
> 
> Thank you for reading, have a nice day! *blows kisses*
> 
> Kyoya: (from his kitchen, distantly) Herbivore.
> 
> Skull: Hey! 😤 You get over here so I can hug that attitude right outta ya!


	11. Stormy sad boi hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That video tape awoke something primal in more than one person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Family dynamics, WOOOOOOOO~
> 
> I wanted to write some hecking fluffy Cloud Duo, but nooooo.   
> I just had to be feeling bad so angst happened! Ugh. Hope you enjoy anyway~! 
> 
> **WARNING!**  
>  Heavy description of child neglect and abuse!  
> Skull's deteriorating mental health in his teen years!  
> Fon's absence of sanity!

Skull is strong enough to dent metal in a single punch.  
Skull can shatter solid concrete in a single stomp.  
He is fast enough that old timey security cameras can't even pick up his movements.  
Skull might have been even more powerful than Checkerface at some point.  
And none of them ever suspected a thing.

Skull had the potential to rank higher in their group.  
He could've fought alongside all of them on an equal level.  
Skull could have made them eat their words whenever they'd teased and pushed him around.  
Hell, maybe Skull could have even wrangeled the title of Strongest Arcobaleno from Reborn's hands!  
Once upon a time, that thought alone would've been an I suit, now it feels more like a reality they'd somehow narrowly avoided? 

Because Skull didn't. Despite all of that power that must've been boiling under his skin, he'd never once defended himself. Their Cloud just... Let it happen.  
Skull let them bully him, beat him and tease him for decades.  
For. No. Reason.

....  
Some of them still can't wrap their heads around that.  
Even now, seven hours after they first laid their eyes onto those video tapes. None of it makes any sense.

It takes a few of them hours to come to terms with these sorts of things afterall.  
Colonello pretty much left immediately after his shock wore off. He's been in the kitchen and baking for six hours now, Lal left to join him five hours ago. Reborn followed her shortly after. Judging by the bouts of teasing and silence, they're still alive and working through... Whatever this is. 

That leaves Verde, Fon and Mammon to be the sole occupants of the couch.

Fon has been sitting in front of the couch, silent and unmoving ever since he first saw the tape. None of them want to deal with whatever backlash their Storm has in store for them, so they all unanimously decided to leave him be. Won't be much longer until Reborn decides to unleash that Chaos, anyway.  
Verde, similarly, hasn't moved from his spot on the couch, but he has pulled out his laptop and immediately gone to work on analyzing every last bit of data he can squeeze from this one video.  
Mammon, on the other hand, is floating above the couch, watching the looping video on the TV with something like mild intrigue and, dare I say, a hint of pride. 

The Mist and Lightning have been arguing for hours by now. "This is a physical impossibility. I have data on Skull. He cannot be able to do this."  
"It's not illusions. How often do I have to tell you. Checkerface's flame didn't even have the time to spark."  
"You can't see that through a video though."  
"Yes I can. He did not use his flame. Skull just did that."  
"That is literally impossible!"  
"We have video evidence here!" 

And it's been going back and forth like that. **For. Hours.**

Eventually, even Reborn got sick of listening to them. And once he grows bored of teasing Colonello for his Coal-Lumps and reading up on all sorts of stunts Skull did back in the day with Lal, what else is there to do, but spread Chaos?  
So Reborn returns to the living room and plops down elegantly. Right next to Fon, purposely startling the completely entranced Storm out of his motionless reverie. Fon actually flinches and that might've been the most surprised any of them have ever seen their usually so serene, watchful Storm.

Even Reborn reacts oddly when faced with this kind of uncharted territory.  
He is a sun. At his core, Reborn wants to nuture and heal. And Fon is his Storm. The question kind of tumbles out without his full permission. "You good?"  
Fon blinks a few times, as though just returning from a very intense trance, before his eyes find Reborn and he manages an uncharacteristically strained smile. "I need to go sit down for a while. Excuse me." 

And just like that, Fon stands up and leaves, quick and silent as a breeze. Leaving them all with this odd tension. 

Even their storm is acting weird, huh... 

~~~Fon POV~~~

A perfectly relaxed stance.  
Sudden tension thruming through every muscle.  
Abrupt movement, too fast for barely trained eyes to track.  
A fist rushing into view suddenly, going straight for his chin to maximize damage.  
That fist loosening and deflecting at the very last moment.  
An almost soft touch against his fragile collarbones.  
The bruising impact with the ground.  
Breathing through the pain and looking up.  
An all illuminating grin, proud and lively.  
Gleaming, purple eyes, strong, **familiar**. 

_"Hah! Caught you again, little Tempest!"_

How could he overlook this?!  
No. How in 天堂's sake did he miss this!? 

Skull De Morte. The purest, strongest Cloud the world has to offer.  
Hibari Daichi. The rumoured humanoid embodiment of Cloud flames. 

Hell, just the naturally bright purple eyes and hair, although cut much shorter, should have been dead giveaways! 

Seriously! How could he have forgotten all of that?! 

No! Really? _How comes_ he forgot... any of that... 

...maybe meditating and thinking about it will help... 

It takes, but a few moments of his usual, perfect stillness, for something in his mind to shift in a pretty significant manner.  
A flame seal?  
Fon wonders briefly how much time has passed since that seal was put on him, but the when, how and why isn't important right now.  
What is important is that there is, in fact, a flame seal on him. 

Fon firmly disagrees.  
So the seal is promptly burned away by brilliant red.  
It leaves no traces, not even burnt little crisps.  
And Fon's mind is immediately plunged into darkness. 

*-*-*-*-*Flashback time*-*-*-*-*

It's dark. He doesn't like the dark. Monsters lurk in there, Monsters just like him. Violent and merciless.  
It cold. His whole body is shivering with it. After all, these rags aren't meant to provide him warmth, or comfort.  
He's hungry. In fact, he's starving. His stomach is beyond the point of cramping, instead, it outright burns like acid. Consuming itself. 

Yet, he still sits upright. His posture is flawless. And it remains that way, even when....  
Even when... he discreetly presses his hands into his abdomen to quell the burn.  
Even when his eyes sting, either from being so very dry, or from wanting to cry all over again.  
Even when. Every. Single. Out of place. Noise shatters his focus completely and forces him right back into that indiscriminate fury.  
That cursed, **fucking _rage._**

... He... He won't be allowed out, until that is no longer the case.  
He will never again see the sunlight, if he cannot control himself.  
He will never again feel that sun warm his skin if his stormy rage continues to overwhelm him.  
He won't even be permitted to eat, until he manages to stay calm, day in day out. 

What if he ends up meeting his demise in here you ask?  
If he perishes here, alone, frightened, starving, sobbing as he slowly wastes away?  
That doesn't matter.  
Because Storms are like sand by the ocean shore. There are millions of them.  
The most common of flames. One more dead is nobody's loss. 

And that is what he knows is his future. A violent, slow death for a merciless, nameless Monster.  
At the very least... that was what he believed for the longest time. 

Right up until something shifted.  
Like a light breeze, pushing around the Clouds in the vast expanse of the sky, the curtain that was thrown over his cage was pulled aside. Just a bit. Just enough for the sudden light to startle and blind him all over again.  
He slams into the cage's wall immediately, distressed, furious. Overwhelmed yet again. Truly shameful... 

Yet the curtain does not fall back. He doesn't hear anyone skitter away in terror. This intruder doesn't even squeak.  
Instead, the first thing he perceives is a very light touch against his cheek and a soft, gentle voice speaking near him. They sound heart broken. "Oh... Look what they've done to you..."  
He reels back immediately at that touch, so gentle, so foreign, and his vision clears a bit.

The first thing he sees is purple. Bright purple eyes, long, straight purple hair, a distinct purple mark on their cheek.  
Next, the person's clothes register. A dark, royal purple kimono with an intricate pattern hand embroidered into the sleeves.  
They're in shape, well fed, clothed in riches and they have the time to come bother him.  
There is only one type of person that could fit all these descriptions.  
He collapses to his knees then.  
All the fight left him immediately.

If... If a **Cloud**... decided to amuse themselves by ending him... He wouldn't be able to go against that.  
Not only are they so much more rare and valuable than any storm, they're also more powerful than them too!  
He-he isn't even in any shape to really move! It wouldn't be a fight, it'd be manslaughter!  
But... it is just like fate, to end a violent Monster through a bigger predator, no?  
The irony of it is not lost to him and it's so laughable he just has to smile. 

Oddly enough, the Cloud drops to their knees before him then, sounding very... Distraught? How weird... "Oh, no. No, no, nonono, little Storm. Don't cry. Shhh... Shhh..."  
They actually reach out into his cage, once against touching his cheek and repeatedly dragging their fingers gingerly across his skin there.  
They're very... Warm. Their touch is soothing...  
But he can also smell food still on their fingers. And he's really much too hungry to think clearly. 

Their blood doesn't taste very good. And they do hiss at him when he bites their hand.  
He flinches back, but the Cloud doesn't raise their hand to hit him. They pull back instead. "Ouch-oh...okay. Okay. You're hungry. I get it. Uhm.... I'll... I'll be back."  
And he's once again shrouded in darkness. 

But this time...  
The darkness doesn't last.  
The hunger disappears soon after.  
And the Cloud's kind touch even manages to soothe his rage. 

That's not all.  
This Cloud...  
He pledges for him.  
Stands by his side and demands his freedom.  
Holds his hand and shouts at the elders to release him of such inhumane treatment.  
And the elders permit it as long as the Cloud takes sole responsibility for him. 

They only permit such because this isn't just any of the rare few Clouds they have.  
No.  
This Clouds, that took pity on him, that looks at him with kindness and sympathy, is THE Hibari Daichi. 

The first inverted Cloud born to them in more than a century. The most highly valued child in the all of the compounds. 

The little Storm was jealous at first. 

But Daichi was persistent to befriend him.

First, the royal Cloud named the wayward Storm he'd adopted. 

_"You don't have a name yet? I'll just call you little Tempest until you can tell me what you want me to call you, then!"_

He shared his food with the tiny Storm to help him grown. Often going hungry himself just to do so. 

_"I can go a few days without food, Tempest. I'm a Cloud, don't worry. You need to eat lots though! Storms can get so, so skinny, so, so fast..."_

Often, Daichi would train his little Tempest, helping him grow faster, stronger, more agile and robuster than any other person known to their Clan. 

_"Oh, my, GOD! You did it Tempest! You beat my record!!!"_

And when little Tempest felt unsure of his place in the world, Daichi always knew what to say. 

_"You don't want to be ordinary? Then... Just be extraordinary!_  
_I... I know that sounds easy coming from me. I am aware of the privileges and opportunities handed to me, Tempi. But it holds true!_  
_And wouldn't that be so much more cool? If you became extraordinary all of your own will? That'd be awesome!!"_

At the time... Tempest didn't understand that Cloud. He couldn't fathom the significance of having that Cloud's kindness and favor. 

Daichi wasn't distant, he was clingy.  
He wasn't violent, he was peaceful.  
He wasn't merciless, he burst at the seams with kindness. 

Yet, much like every Cloud, Daichi took territory. And he protected it fiercely.

Tempest had been territory once. For a little while.  
Then, when one of the Elders raised their hand against Tempest for some minor transgression, some Monster unleashed from the depths of Daichi's flames.

It was as if some unfathomable Beast was slumbering in that kind, forgiving Cloud, content and satisfied whenever the Cloud had reasons to grin that illuminating smile of his.  
Daichi was not smiling that day. 

That bout of rage was terrifying. He'd slaughtered 30 trained assassins, 3 elders and 45 bodyguards before anyone was able to subdue him.  
Nobody ever raised a hand to Tempest again since then. 

But it was too late. That day already changed everything.

Suddenly, Daichi became distant, skittish and unhappy. And it only got worse with time.  
Daichi isolated himself. He was crying all the time. He was unable to keep food down. He even refused to sleep... 

Bit by bit, they fell apart, all the while all Tempest could do was watch helplessly.  
The last time they'd seen each other, Daichi did not even remember who he was. He was that deep in his... Grief perhaps? 

Daichi's eyes were void of recognition, but... Tempest liked to think there was a spark of fondness in them, still. A piece that lingers of, perhaps not a memory, but an emotion.  
He hopes Daichi would never forget the emotions they'd felt together anf for one another. 

Even when Daichi forged his warpath out. When he slaughtered everyone at the compound they were at. All 243 men, women and children, leaving only Tempest alive, to run of into the surrounding forests and make himself a new life elsewhere. 

That night, Hibari Tempest died alongside the rest of the fighters in that compound.  
Just a few months later, Fon managed his first solo kill in the Triads. He was, but young 19 years old. It would be 5 more, long years until he'd first meet his fellow Arcobaleno. 

What happened in those few months? Simple.  
Fon found the Triads. And the Triads helped him out.  
They took away what was painful enough to make his flame react so very violently. And in return, Fon would take care of the filthiest of their work with a serene smile on his face.  
(It had been a definite step up from his previous work in the Clan. Slaughtering those that hurt the innocents has always more appealed to him than bringing misplaced 'mercy' to said innocents.) 

Fon would have never, in his entire life, thought that removing painful memories would remove a whole person from his memories?! 

Oh dear, oh dear.... What should he do now?

___________________________

OMAKE in celebration of 300 kudos!! YOU GUYS ROCK ❤️❤️❤️ 🗿🗿🗿

Just Reborn pining over text tbh. 

Texts between Number#1Best and Lackey📱

19:30  
-Argentina. Are you serious. 

19:31  
-You owe us cookies for this. 

19:30  
-A circus freak. 

19:31  
-You have bad taste as per usual. 

\---------

02:38  
-You should've been more fun to tease. You used to be a clown, you know. 

02:50  
-You used yo train at night. When did you decide to become a wuss about it, Lackey? 

03:30  
-You punched Checkerface. 

03:34  
-You actually did. Wtf. 

03:40  
-Why didn't you do that when it would've anyhow been useful to anyone?!? Like, oh, I don't know? When we were being fucking cursed?!? 

10:30  
-I'm still killing you for that when you get back home. 

10:30  
-But can you first get the fuck back home?? 

13:40  
-You don't have the right to cut us off like this. 

14:32  
-You are our damn Cloud. You can't change that. So just give up and come back. 

16:37  
-You are mine. You don't get to leave. 

18:14  
-Lackey. Answer.

18:30  
-Lackey

18:40  
-A

18:40  
-N

18:40  
-S

18:40  
-W

18:40  
-E

18:41  
-R

18:50  
-!!!!!

19:10  
-⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️

21:37  
\- I swear if you don't kiss me on the lips I will beat yo ass. Softly tho. 

21:40  
-I will not. Nello is drunk and napped my phone. 

22:11  
-Unless? 😏😏

22:20  
-You need to come join us for Nello's funeral. It's a closed casket one tho. 

23:45  
-Lackey. Answer 

\---------

00:00  
-Skull. Just. Answer. 

01:40  
-Cherep. 

02:30  
-Please

\---------

\---------

\---------

07:40  
Read-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *stands on a stage and clears throat*  
> You get some trauma, and you get some trauma, everybody gets some trauma!  
> Fon: *gets fucking nuked*  
> Me: owo; Fuck.


	12. Warmth and Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Cloud drifts, whether they have a home or not. Skull is no different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is bittersweet fluff! Because they deserve to love each other! But the Plot has to continue! 
> 
> Enjoy please!

Kyoya's landing kicks up some dust when he jumps back down onto the road. It hasn't rained in quite a while now. There was so much dust when the airship landed. "I think we discussed just about everything."  
Skull blinks rapidly, his attention flighty at best, but Kyoya is looking at him and its grounding. "Yeah. Sorry about this, again." 

Kyoya sighs and shakes his head, disapproving obviously. "I don't like this. It's risky with our plan being at such a delicate stage."  
Skull is about to apologize again, but Kyoya isn't done talking. "I'm only allowing this because I trust you."  
Those words are warm and kind and _validating_. His stomach is in knots, his eyes are growing misty and a flush rises to his cheeks. All just because someone really puts their trust in him again, after all these years. "I won't disappoint you, Kyoya."

Kyoya doesn't respond. He doesn't quite know what to say it seems. Silence falls over them. This one isn't quite as comfortable as it might have been at home.  
This is a goodbye, however temporary, and it weighs heavy.  
Between their hesitantly longing look, words drift unspoken. Perhaps caged by pride, or hesitancy.

It doesn't matter. Kyoya would never let even his own rules or pride limit his reach. 

Just as Skull turns away, a word drifts up to him, spoken quietly, but with a strong emotion. "Skull."  
It's one of those rare times. A time for Kyoya to address him with his name. Skull's entire focus sharpens to a point immediately. Kyoya is the center of his universe in that moment.  
This aloof, cold hearted, distant, _traumatizedwarmlovingkind_ young man could say anything and Skull would follow his words as though it is law, no questions asked. 

**How dare** Kyoya look so very unsure?

He looks as if a part of him still doesn't quite know how to show kindness, like his footing was still off by a bit. As if he'd stumble or trip if he misstepped.  
It seems Kyoya's mind simply refuses to aknowledge the kind of influence he has over Skull.  
It's refreshing, to witness someone be just as unsure towards him as Skull is towards them.

Unexpectedly, it levels the playing field in its entirety.  
This uncertainty positions them as equals. Let's them see eye to eye.  
In this moment, Skull isn't the strongest Cloud in the world anymore. And Kyoya isn't Namimori's demon prefect either.  
They are, but unsure, broken men, desperate to love and be loved.  
And Kyoya happens to be the one that has more love left to give.

This time, his baby Cloud offers his love to him in the form of a little, velvety jewelry box, a faint flush coming to his cheeks. "I wanted to give you this someday. I'd... Hoped it would be a while longer until we'd have to part ways. Here."  
Kyoya is a bit embarrassed and it jumpstarts Skull out of this paralyzing focus.  
Skull blinks rapidly at first, almost a little dizzy with how focused he had just been. But then the offered present registers and he lurches forward to grab it.

Kyoya would never pull it away, but Skull doesn't know that in that moment.  
Instead, Skull bumps into the railing mid-lurch, folds in half over it, carried forward more by his momentum and lands harshly on his ass on the ground.  
Skull really just tripped over the railing off of the side of his airship... Well then. 

As the dust settles and Kyoya stifles his giggling, Skull smiles. That blunder just very gracelessly broke the weird tension. It's highly welcomed. Even if his tailbone hurts now. That was worth it.  
Skull stands up and pats his butt a few times to get the dust off, smiling lightly then.  
The fondness and mirth stay in Kyoya's eyes, even when he quietly huffs.  
He still hasn't pulled the present away, so Skull carefully plucks it out of his hand, already deeply touched by just the gesture. "Thank you. You shouldn't have..." 

Kyoya shrugs lightly, standing there and watching him now. It takes Skull a few seconds to realize Kyoya was waiting for him to open the little box.  
Skull lifts the lid and has to pause immediately. That is... 

It's... It's an earring. Bigger than his current one, in the shape of a red shield. Carved and written in gold right there it says '風紀'.  
**風紀**...   
Fucking **Discipline**...  
It's a tiny, tiny, metal version of what Kyoya's armband looks like. 

You know. Just Kyoya's armband. The one thing he has always seen as his pride That thing that is almost holy to him. The one true symbol of his conviction and responsibility. The literal mark he puts on basically every person he sees as someone akin to _family_? 

Kyoya isn't quite rambling, but he does have this nervous energy about himself. "I wanted you to have something of mine."   
Obviously Skull is speechless for a few moments! Then the tears hit. In the next second, he's already scooped Kyoya up in a tight cuddle. And now, he's wailing. "KYOYAAAAAA-!" 

His baby Cloud tenses... But doesn't hit him for the blatant public display of affection. Instead, Kyoya almost squeaks, muffling a very tiny, startled breath, before just wrapping his arms around him and keeping him together, just barely.  
If Kyoya dares to let go of him now, Skull would surely shatter apart into pieces so tiny he'd never find all of himself ever again. 

But Kyoya isn't letting go. He does shift around a bit though, getting comfy right there in his arms, reaching around and tugging his hand into Skull's hair.  
Again, this just seems to be his favourite thing to do when hugging people. Maybe Kyoya is just more inclined to pet people and animals he thinks are cute, who knows. "... Do you like it, Niichan?" 

Skull is still gasping through his sobs, distantly wondering how Kyoya can be so calm right now.  
Then he remembers that it's Kyoya.  
Of course Kyoya would be calm when faced with this sort of thing! He regularly adopts strays, humans and animals alike! Skull surely isn't the first person to sob out his gratitude....  
But he might just be the first one who gets to sob it into Kyoya's shoulder. "I l-love it-!" 

Kyoya hums faintly, brushing his hand slowly through his hair and just holding him for a few more minutes. Their hug is cut short only when one of his subordinate calls out to them. "Mister De Morte! We are ready for take off!"  
Skull whines, disagreeing, but Kyoya is already moving away, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and pushing that in Skull's face then. Which is kinda rude. Skull grumbles about just that, his lips twitching up in a smile against his will anyway.

It'll be a few more moments until Skull would have to actually go, so he takes a few seconds to switch in his new earring.  
He puts his old earring and the little chain in one of his pockets for now. "How's it look?"  
Kyoya manages a little smile, despite the suspicious moisture in his eyes. "Looks just fine..."  
Skull just wants to scoop him up and keep him safe forever... 

Actually....  
Kyoya has just given him a very significant gift, hasn't he? Skull can't leave him here empty handed! But Skull has nothing of importance on himself-  
That's when... A little, heavy weight in his pocket makes itself known again. He flusters in response, lightly clearing his throat to catch Kyoya's attention then. Kyoya looks at him as if he is a very cute, but very naive animal. Skull kind of loves it. "I can give you something in return, Kyo... If you'll accept it. Here."  
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out that cursed little weight, swallowing lightly, before offering the formerly purple pacifier to Kyoya. 

When the curse was broken, the jewel lost its luster. It turned a dull, almost translucent grey, which was just unsightly. But Skull still kept it. Because there is still significance to it.  
Even if Skull never asked to own it, it has been his for decades. It is the symbol of his torment, his hopelessness and his agony. The feeling of isolation lingers on it, sticky like rejection and abuse.  
For years it was his burden to carry, all on his own. Now it has lost most of what made it so burdensome to hold.  
The pacifier became a useless, heavy reminder. It is binding him to people he wants nothing to do with anymore... 

If he gave this thing to anyone else, especially with the context of what it means to him, it would be an insult. It would be as if he was handing over something he doesn't seem to want, or even need. It would be responding to a very meaningful gift by giving back garbage.  
But he isn't offering it to just anyone. Skull wants to give his pacifier to Kyoya. Because he wants Kyoya to understand that this trust between them is a two way street.

By accepting the earring, Skull basically announces that he will carry the responsibility of being Kyoya's Cloud. And **everything** that entails.  
The ups and downs, the sickness of it and the wonderful feeling of belonging and being treasured. Skull will remain by his side, whether the earring turns out to be a blessing or a curse. 

And if Kyoya chooses to accept the pacifier... It could mean that Kyoya is be willing to help Skull continue to carry what has already happened. Whether it turns out to be a blessing or a curse. 

Apparently, his baby Cloud doesn't need to think twice about it, snatching the pacifier out of his hand with a strange glint in his eyes.  
Is it similar to the desperation that Skull felt when he ran into the railing just to grab his present before it'd be pulled away? Maybe, but it doesn't matter. Skull wouldn't judge.  
Kyoya does fluster after he's composed himself, avoiding eye contact now and just looking at his new jewel. "... I'm gonna do something fun with this."  
Skull chuckles a little at that. "Do whatever you want." 

Another idea comes to mind and there is no shame in asking at least. Even if he's almost too nervous to bring it up at all. "Since this is goodbye... Can I give you a goodbye kiss? Just a lil kissy on your forehead? Please?"  
Kyoya blinks at him, putting the pacifier god knows where, probably putting it wherever he keeps those tonfa of his. "You don't have to beg to show me your affections Nii-chan. Go ahead." 

And Skull is not gonna cry over something as simple as that! He is not! He's just... Tearing up. A little.  
Because Kyoya is so nonchalant about it. Like it's really just as simple as that...  
Skull swallows down the sudden tightness in his throat, brushing back Kyoya's ridiculously fluffy fringe and planting a little smooch right there.  
Kyoya just makes a little huff, halfway between content and amused and Skull could legitimately just stay here forever and be happy with it. 

Unfortunately, that's the moment the engine goes off, rumbling faintly as the airship begins to lift of. Skull scrambles briefly, jumping abroad just as it rocks up the last bit to really lift of.  
When he looks, Kyoya is laughing to himself, then he stops, freaking _smirks_ and waves up at him.

Kyoya actually _shouts_ , mostly to be heard over the engine, but still! "See you later, Nii-chan! Have fun!"  
And Skull nearly topples over the railing again, just to wave for as long as he physically can. "Bye bye Kyoya! I love you!"  
Well, at least nobody onbroad **his** ship would think less of him for that. And if they did? Well, they'll make a few stops on their way to fulfill their part of the plan... They can just leave then. 

It takes him a few minutes to compose himself, but when Skull calms down, he can't help but smile. Even if what lies ahead is truly daunting... 

For now Skull makes an airship-wide announcement.

"Set course North! We're going to Argentina, pals!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan is getting set into motion prematurely for reasons yet to be discovered~
> 
> Whatever could our Clouds be planning~?
> 
> Edit:  
> WE HAVE SOME HECKING FANART MY GUYS! 🤩🤩🤩🤩
> 
> https://twitter.com/Dirkapitation1/status/1313889328163172355
> 
> PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT IT IS SO DANG CUTE! ☁️💖☁️💖☁️
> 
> Also, I now have a Twitter!  
> I have no ideas what to post or how Twitter really works yet, but come show me how stuff is done @LoneMuf ~!


	13. Impact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff goes down. Everything's a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is 3 am and I just finished this! I'm still not satisfied cause it feels fragmented af, but it's the best I can manage for this chapter cause it's all over the place! I hope it's at least somewhat entertaining though?
> 
>  **WARNING:** Heavy Angst with some fluff, please beware if sensitive to implied character death.

It's eight o'clock in the evening. Seventeen hours passed since they first saw that security tape.  
Seventeen hours in which their world view shifted dramatically. 

But life goes on. 

Verde got busy in his laboratory and Mammon started happily counting a wad of cash in the living room.  
Reborn stands in the kitchen, trying his hand at cooking some basic pasta.  
Colonello stopped trying to cook after the cookie fiasco, instead, him and Lal are currently going through the rest of the tapes they have. Nothing of interest so far. 

Fon, surprisingly, is the only one that was somewhat restless. He isn't pacing, not even moving much, but he came into the kitchen a while ago. And he's just been... typing away at one of their laptops ever since.  
That wouldn't be very worrying, if he wasn't also focused enough to be frowning the tiniest bit...  
To say Reborn is curious would be an understatement. 

He doesn't even try for subtlety. "What are you writing?"  
Fon blinks and looks up at him, smiling faintly then. "I'm sending Skull an email. Maybe he can't find his phone to answer us."  
And somehow, his storm's optimism just makes him a little bitter. "He wouldn't dare lose the phone I gave him."

That bitterness is completely misplaced. Fon knows that. Hell, he knows that himself. They both know just who is the fool here. Fon has never been the type to call someone out. "... Would you like to send him an email too? I'm almost done."  
And maybe spending years with a sincere, sweehearted, not-quite civillain, made Reborn somewhat softer. He doesn't quite feel the need to be cruel for the fun of it in that moment. "... No."

Fon gives him a bigger, more natural smile at that. He seems almost amused. Mischievous even.  
Reborn should've honestly guessed something like this would happen. He hasn't stepped a foot in a kitchen to cook anything besides espresso in decades.  
He just doesn't turn around, even when Fon starts chuckling. 

"Your pasta seems to be in flames, my friend."  
"Yeah. It just does that sometimes."  
Chaos ensues moments later. 

~~~

... Yeah. The evening started out pleasant and fun. It's still been a long day though. By now, the quiet awe has worn off and what they're left with is just... Confusion and a bit of anger.  
If Skull had been capable of decking Checkerface...  
Why didn't he? And did that question even matter? It's obvious that Skull only attacked when Checkerface invaded his territory and refused to heed any warnings. That's it. They're just not used to the fact that Skull actually expressed territorial rage. 

_Why_ didn't Skull react when Checkerface appeared during the Fated Day?  
_Why_ didn't he do anything?  
He could've told them Checkerface was hostile. If he didn't feel save attacking the bastard on his own, Skull could've given them a warning at the very least!  
He should have felt compelled to protect them. They are his territory, after all! 

.....they are, right?  
Back then, they were friends and Luce had them high on Sky attraction, but they did fit, didn't they?  
They were in harmony, weren't they?  
And yes, maybe Skull had been distant. Maybe he never quite stopped being tense around them. Maybe he never really gave into the pull of Luce's sky. But he had been their Cloud.  
And they had been his... _right?_

(They remember a time when Skull worried over them.  
When he sagged with relief the moment they all came back in one piece from a questionable mission. When he gave them bright grins and asked them how their days went. When he asked how he could help with the littlest things they'd wanted to do. 

_Just when did that fucking change?_ ) 

Eventually, it starts raining outside, but they are inside, warm and cozy.  
Of course, some of them complain about getting dragged back into the cuddle pile, but it's still the only way all of them can sleep.  
Although, at this point enough time has passed that, even Mammon, the one person that had been something like a friend of Skull, can function almost normally again.  
Watching Past-Skull get up to all kinds of nightly mischief helped a bit... 

~~~

It's past one in the morning and they are still awake. Mainly cause... Well.  
Every single one of them are highly trained Mafiosi. Trusting people never comes easy, even if they'd literally kill for each other. Falling asleep next to each other is still a little bit of a struggle sometimes. Nobody mentions it. But it's been a long day and by now they are plenty exhausted. Some of them are about to drift of, others are already asleep, Reborn is still wide awake. It's the usual. 

Right up until suddenly then, something strums along their souls beautifully, pulling all semblance of exhaustion out of them immediately.  
It's something pleasant, soft, reluctant, gleeful.  
_Familiar._  
It's pure warmth and it spreads out from their cores, chasing away chills they didn't even know they had. Settling into their bones, filling the rips and tears in their souls, molding into the empty ache they were just finally beginning to get used to. 

It's Skull's flame. 

He's back. _Skull is back!_

And he may be just barely within their reach, but his flame is pressing up against them almost apologetically!  
Skull is brushing over them as if to soothe them, as if he knows what kind of anguish they had been going through. And he whispers repentance into the cores of their souls...

An apology like that is wasted on the likes of them.  
Because they are not nice people. They never were. Skull should've known better.  
They should've kept a better handle on their flames.  
But they were caught of guard, in the middle of falling asleep while bonding with each other.  
Falling into instinct comes so easy then.

Immediately, they each follow their own possessive instincts, digging their flames into their wayward Cloud and dragging him closer.  
Forcing him back where he used to be.  
Pushing him into submission without meaning to.  
Digging claws into him so he won't ever run away anymore. 

Yes, their instinctual reaction to the **Cloud** , _that had just returned to them from tasting freedom_ , is to **restrain him.**  
It's the most **idiotic** thing any of them have ever done in their whole life.  
**Fuck** , they must truly be spoiled rotten with Skull's forgiveness... 

Skull, remarkably, or maybe predictably, doesn't trash, struggle, or even attempt to resist.  
No, instead he strums along their bonds from the bottom of their hierachry, something like painful fondness in the action.  
It feels like guilt. Like a heavy burden lies on their Cloud.  
It's as though Skull is standing right there before them, somehow managing a small smile, even as he experiences an agony worse than anything all of them ever lived through. 

That anguished feeling coming off of their Cloud is ultimately what shatters through the fog of instincts. And they immediately scramble to correct their mistake, almost physically stumbling over each other out of bed to do so.

They are going to rip that stupid, stupid hierachry to pieces.  
They are going to uplift their Cloud to be their equal.  
They are going to soothe their Cloud's anguish.  
They are going to apologize! 

But... that wave of instincts is still roilling through them, leaving them disoriented and before they can even think to straighten up, Skull's flame rips out of their grasp, almost frantically pulling away from them.  
What else could they do but follow?

Their chase for it is short, all things considered. The moment their eyes land on the window, they can already see their future destination.  
Right there, lazily drifting through the rumbling, black clouds, is that familiar, purple airship, the pull of Skull's flame tugging them out the window and skyward. Obviously, they can't fly, but that doesn't stop them from running out into a storm in the middle of the night. You know. Like morons. 

And much like typical morons, all they can do with watch in horror as Skull's ship begins to **break apart**.  
How could it hold up against the continuous fire of two attack bombers? Simple, it cannot. Which is evident as chunks of metal begin to fray off of the main body, falling to the ground as frantic, purple flashes illuminate the sky at random. 

Their Cloud is up there. **Skull is up there.**

....  
It's an odd time to fall into remembrance, seeing as their Cloud is being torn to shreds. But memories flood their mind anyway. 

Verde remembers the times Skull outright refused to eat unless the Lightning was present and doing the same.  
Mammon remembers many late night Confessions, all of them valuable now, in their own way.  
Collonello remembers tiny, leather-clad hands tucking him in whenever he'd gotten too drunk to remain standing upright.  
Lal remembers bright, awe filled eyes and a sunny enthusiasm that dragged her out of many downward spirals.  
Reborn remembers when there used to be a perfectly brewed espresso waiting for him besides his breakfast every morning. 

Those days are long gone. And now?  
Now... that gentle person won't ever be with them again... 

A beat of silence passes. Then the world burns with their _**RAGE.**_

~~~

It's hot.  
The Sky, or maybe just the Clouds, are wreathed in flames, even as they unleash weeks worth of rain in one night. 

It'd be a beautiful night if there wasn't pure fucking _terror_ pushing through their veins. 

The metal they run past is bright red with searing heat. The random shreds of cloth everywhere are still ablaze, creating a nigh endless inferno.  
The fire paints the hellscape they chased into with erratic shadows and flickers of light.  
In just a handful of hours the torrential downpour will have put it all out.  
They don't have time to wait. 

He slips on the uneven terrain again. Getting further into the wreckage is nearly impossible what with all the the mud, rain and smooth metal.  
He curses sharply under his breath, his suit already soaked through and the others aren't fairing any better. They're lacking behind a bit. _Useless extra weight slowing him down._

He pulls himself back up and pushes forward anyway, guided through only by frequent flashes of lightning.  
Thunder explodes above them, deafening, even over the loud crackling of the fire around them. Another explosion sounds not too far away a second later, shaking the earth, a large slab of metal slipping down a little hill right into their path. 

_They **DON'T** have time for this!_

It seems pointless, but the _sheer desperation_ claws it's way up his throat anyway. His voice is hoarse and the cold is biting into every inch of exposed skin. He shouts through the pain of _something_ ripping through his very _soul_. 

**"SKULL-!?"**

Reborn's call is drowned out as the Cloud cover rips open and unleashes hell upon them. 

\-----------

To: luchshiy.kaskader:p@gmiel.com  
From: martialartz.izbest@gmiel.com  
Subject: Read please! 

Hey Skull I don kno if u r there but dis important <(｀^´)>  
We watched tapes we found in ur circus. One of them show ur 1st meeting with Checkerfack.  
We saw u punch him! （ ﾟ Дﾟ)

And I need u to know how beautiful dat is! (/◕ヮ◕)/ ♥️  
U r teh only Arcobaleno dats evr got revenge on dat bastard! (*^▽^*)  
Dats amazing! (✿◠‿◠)  
U were wonderful Id watch that scene on loop 4evr! ∩(·ω·)∩ 

All that praise aside. When I saw your form I recalled a distant memory.  
You used a style very similar to the first one I was ever taught myself. The person that helped me master this martial art has always been very dear to me.

He was my first and only teacher.  
I've been searching him for many years, as he invented that martial art and it is one of the most difficult ones I've mastered to this day. I feel i have a lot left to learn from this man.  
Unfortunately, my search has been unsuccessful so far. 

That aside, there is something else I have to ask of you.  
Have you ever known a young boy named Tempest? He owes that teacher of mine a lot. I'm afraid, Tempest may never meet that man again. But just in case you have contact to him, could you give him a message? 

Tempest would like to tell him 'Thank you.' Most of all.  
'Thank you for pulling me out of the darkness and showing me there is nothing to fear in my own light. Thank you for being there for me when the world had forsaken me. Thank you for seeing more in me than some bloodsoaked monster.  
Thank you for feeding me, for giving me shelter and safety, for showing me that hope is not supposed to be a distant dream.  
Thank you for teaching me that strength means little if it's uncontrollable.  
Thank you for being there for me, even when I was blind to it all.'

I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for me. 

I miss you, Skull. We have a lot to discuss. Please come back. All of us miss you. We can't continue on like this. Not without you. 

Send at 20:18

\------------------------

To: martialartz.izbest@gmiel.com  
From: luchshiy.kaskader:p@gmiel.com  
Subject: Reply to: Read please

I'm Sorry, Tempest. 

План: ложь смертности

Send at 0:54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha.... Please don't kill me Q-Q  
> *puts out plate of apology muffins*
> 
> This is not the end of this fanfiction! Nor this series!


	14. Solitary Cloud Adventures part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull starts working on his side of the plan~!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this thing I wrote up in one go today!
> 
>  **WARNING:** Suicidal ideation, Vindice (mild mentions of rot/decay), Skull being a bit of a mess and fucking with the order of things
> 
> Also first obvious signs of BAMF Skull and BAMF Oodako!

~~14 hours til The Crash~~

Skull is back in the sky.  
He's back to drift on his own. Several fluffy, white Clouds below him. The endless expanse of the bright, blue sky up above him. Freedom at his fingertips, just a single step away.  
It's exhausting. 

It also hurts more now, knowing there is a place that's for him. He wants to go back, to return to Kyoya. He wants to be on the ground again. 

It's barely even been three hours since he left Namimori... Which makes his predicament a little pathetic all things considered. 

Skull sighs softly, looking down at the Fluffy Clouds and the distant ice fields. They should be about 4 kilometers high right now, rising rapidly still and what's he doing?  
Giving orders? Keeping things in check? Maybe just hanging out with Oodako?

Nope, he's standing at the edge of the precipice, looking to the ground with something like longing.

_It could be so very easy...  
Just a little leap and he'd be in freefall...  
Just shifting his weight forward a little bit and tipping over...  
Just letting go of the railing and taking a single step...  
**Just one movement and he would never see Kyoya ever again.** _

That thought is abrupt, just startling enough to throw him a little of his game. He even takes a step back with it, blinking rapidly, then sighing once again.  
Standing around and fantasizing isn't gonna fix things. Especially since he needs to be alive to fulfill his part of the plan!  
So he bites his lower lip, digging the piercing there into his flesh a bit and using that pain as the last push to move back and fix the railing back in place as neatly as he can. 

This isn't the time to dawdle! He needs to go and tell his crew what's gonna be up! And quickly too, since they're gonna reach their first destination in just two more hours!  
Skull nods to himself resolutely, pulling away from the railing and turning around, wandering back inside. 

Alright alright! First things first, he's gotta snuggle up with Oodako for a bit!  
Which is easier said than done, since 'Dako's still pouting at him for losing his helmet. Which, rude! He can't help that Verde stole it and scienced it to pieces weeks ago!  
Skull puffs up a bit, truly resolut now, pulling open the door to the cockpit and walking in with a confident stride. Oodako was by the steering console, previously making sure everything is in order, but now he's turned and they're staring each other down. Neither of them is happy about this. 

Skull raises one arm, the simplest offer of a hug, scowling his fiercest glare. "I'm sorry! Science Bastard stole and broke my helmet! Snuggles?"  
The fight leaves him with the last word, anger replaced by frustration and sadness. Oodako, _this absolute darling_ , forgives him immediately, tentacles reaching out and wrapping around his arms, pulling him over until he's just close enough to be snuggled with effectively.  
He promptly catches himself an armload of squish and many, many wriggly tentacles all over his face and arms. Which just makes him giggle a little. Oodako isn't as happy though, even as he's snuggled up firmly against his chest.

In fact, his best friend is pouting, wrapping around him almost petulantly and holding on tight. Skull scoops him close as best he can, rubbing his cheek against his Bestie's smooth head. "I'm sowwyyyyy..."  
The low, gravely voice that echoes through his mind in response isn't much of a surprise. 'Missed. Friend.'  
Skull tears up from just the telepathic sentiment, rubbing his cheek against his friend more. "I missed you too!"  
Oodako manages a low hum in response, distorted by his mask to sound more like a little, "Mrrmp?" kind of sound. Almost a little purr. It's roughly translates to 'Are you okay?' and Skull almost scowls again. "No... We're on our way to Argentina. Gotta make a stop someplace first though... Ah, on that topic, get me the intercom online, will you? Gotta make an announcement in a second." 

Oodako responds with another low hum, reaching out and getting everything necessary into place. Eight arms work much, much quicker than two after all. Skull stays snuggled up with his buddy, waiting patiently until Oodako pulls the microphone over for him to talk.  
Skull immediately puts on a sunny smile, resorting to his act even without a direct audience. "Hey hey hey, guys! Just a quick announcement, so pay attention!" 

The smile slips off his lips when a serious tone dips into his words. "We are on our way to Argentina to ruined my fellow former Arcobalenos' days. Currently, we are passing over an unmapped icy tundra. Soon, we'll reach our first stop and anyone not comfortable with messing with some former Arcobalenos is free to go once we land at that destination."  
The smile slips back with his enthusiasm a second later. "Our first stop will be in... Ah, roughly one and a half hours! So let's get started to dropping back to the ground for now! I gotta have a talk with our resident fun-police and any cowards gotta jump the ship after all!" 

Oodako rumbles in his arms with amusement, wriggling about happily for barely a second, but nothing slips past Skull. Instantly, his voice reaches obnoxious levels, outright cooing into the microphone and swaying his hips in time with Oodako's wriggling. "Our captain said Happy Dance time! So yall better watch your vibe!"  
Of course, Oodako immediately becomes indignant and embarrassed, wriggling all his tentacles in his face, but Skull is laughing way too hard to care, still swaying his hips and now also twirling around just a bit.

(Unbeknownst to this happy Cloud, his cheerful attitude was sorely missed and, as his laugh echoes down through the winding halls, many subordinates swear to themselves that they would rather die than ever leave **their** Arcobaleno's side for this long ever again.) 

One and a half hour pass much too quickly. 

The airship touches down gently, just as it's engulfed, briefly, by a rush of snowflakes. The illusion doesn't hold up against the insistent, radiant Cloud flames for long, but that surprises nobody. After all, why would a fluffy dandelion hold up against a hurricane?  
Skull jumps off the side of the ship, landing, knee-deep, in thickly packed snow, but that doesn't matter. He's still decked out in his suit, which, mind you, is very frost resistant. Sure, his privates might've just nearly retreated into his body, but that's never been an effective deterrent for him. Oodako doesn't like the cold though, taking one look around, before dropping their peace-offeeing into Skull's arms and promptly retreating back into the warmth and safety of the ship. 

Skull shrugs a little, shaking off some mandatory, eerie feelings and calmly starting his short trek towards the enormous, dark shadow looming ahead of him.  
No matter how many times he comes here... The Vindice's prison is always somewhat impressive...  
But again, it's never deterred him before, why would it now? This time, he isn't even here to cause trouble of any kind! 

(Collonello can be so cute, thinking his precious Mafia Island's security is the only one Skull frequently tests and messes with. Truly, adorably delusional. There are other places out there, many with more impressive security and way more fun guards, thank you very much!) 

A few minutes later, he's already reached the heavy iron door that's the only obbious entry/exit of the place. He raps his knuckles against it firmly, waiting patiently for something to happen, because he knows they noticed his arrival. It just takes some people a little while to get over their God complex sometimes.  
As expected, the door creaks open slowly after a few more minutes, giving him permission to wander inside as he pleases. Just to be a brat, Skull makes sure to stay still for a few more moments, smirking just a tiny bit when the atmospheric pressure increases with heavy impatience and indignation. 

Hehe. Cuties....

He decides not to torture them for much longer, walking in calmly and looking around the pitch black foyer. Tacky. At least, this time, he's given a warm(?) welcome by a guide.  
The fact that said guide is fully decked out in the whole outfit, complete with messy bandages and everything, doesn't retract from the fact that they're acting pleasant enough, all things considered. "Skull-kun, we weren't expecting you."  
Skull gives them a bright smile, perfectly okay with being the only source of light in the room. "Heya. I'm honestly just here to check up on Bermuda. Is he still around..?" 

The Vindice turns and starts moving before he even finishes his sentence, waiting briefly at the next, random gate, before walking further. Huh, so they're just getting him in and out as quickly as they can this time...  
I mean, he didn't expect much in terms of hospitality, not from there dicks, but ugh. Not even refreshments? Typical...

Skull just rolls his eyes, not even really mad, following obediently for now and looking around as they walk. Everything's pitch black, but it isn't the usual, unnatural darkness that should be plaguing the prison's halls. Which is... A little worrying to say the least.  
He nearly runs into his guide when they suddenly stop outside another door, both of them briefly glaring at each other, before Skull's focus catches onto the pulse of a flame behind that door. He can't even start asking his question before the Vindice answers him in a brusque manner. "Master Bermuda is containing the Tri-ni-sette. It is more draining than we expected. It requires Master Bermuda's constant focus."

Skull sighs softly, blinking at the little swirl of purple that passes through his lips, before shaking his head to uproot his dead set focus a tiny bit. Now isn't the time to make a show of how determined he is for this to work. "That's why I'm here. I wanna help... If at all possible."  
The Vindice hesitates, for all but one second, before voicing their doubts. "Your strength is admirable, Skull-kun. But this is a matter of the Vindice."  
Skull sighs again, this time without the purple swirl. "Just look at it as me repaying you for getting me out of the representative battles then. Really, I just wanna help..." 

They shift the faintest bit, staring down at him with something like morbid fascination. This time there are low rumbles surrounding them, the collective speaking through one. "It is a miracle that our world hasn't torn you to shreds yet."  
Skull rolls his eyes, huffing faintly and calmly stating. "I mean, Not for the lack of trying, mind you. Seems I'm simply more powerful."  
This time, he isn't even bragging. He sounds exhausted, to be fair. "Now then... All of you. Can I try to help or will you throw a hissy fit about it?"  
The rumbles increase, briefly, opinions shared, discussed and a moment later, already, a conclusion is reached. "Demonstrate what you would do to help." 

Skull brightens up a bit, raising up his peace-offering with a grin. "I build a thing for that actually!"  
Admittedly, the machine looks like it's been cobbled together hurriedly, so he understands the unimpressed silence he's met with. It doesn't damped his grin at all. He puts his machine under one of his arms, lighting his flame on his free hand, illuminating the hallway almost entirely. "Lookie here! If I feed my flames into these two chambers, it makes an infinite Cloud flame generator." 

As described, he pushes his flame into the machine, holding it up to the tall fucker's face as the machine comes to life, pulsing steadily with quickly self-propagating flames. The Vindice watches in quiet contemplation, a rumble of interest rushing through the room. "Would this machine be able to propagate other flame types then."  
Skull shakes his head and gives his machine a soft smile. "Not on its own. But if my flame is in it, yes. That's what the third chamber is for, this one here." 

He screw open the dangly bit on the top of the machine, showing them the more open chamber. The rumbles increase briefly, another shadow materializing out of nowhere almost directly behind him, only to then step up and stand right up against his side. The stench of rotting flesh is a little uncomfortable this close, but Skull wouldn't do stuntwork for fun if he had a weak stomach. "Hey hey, Jager Meister. Came out to watch-?"  
Skull gets cut of, blinking rapidly when a bandaged arm thrust down into his machine, feeding the Flame of Night into it without hesitation. "Okay then..?" 

His lovely little Generator whirs to life, humming pleasantly as it starts to process of propagating Cloud flames with one another to then utilize the excess flames generated to polster up the Flame of Night that was offered to the machine. 

Skull holds the machine away from himself when the result turns out to be a damn near burst of Flames, whipping about lazily as they reach the ceiling, quickly dousing the room in the much more familiar pitch black darkness.  
Skull blinks rapidly, the only part of him left visible his glowing eyes. "... Soooo... Uh..."

He doesn't know what to say and he can't really speak over the deafening rumbling anyway, so he just smiles a little bit.  
It's been a quick while since these guys were this... Excited, perhaps? The last time must've been when Skull called them up with an offer to fuck around with the representative battles... 

The rumbling cuts of abruptly then, Jager absorbing most of the excess Flame into himself and taking a step away from Skull, looking down at him passively. He doesn't sound as unimpressed as he probably would want to. "What do you want in exchange for this machine."  
Skull gives him a coy little smile. "I want you guys to uh... Maybe fuck off with the omerta bullshit when it comes to me and mine own..? If at all possible, I mean..."  
Another spike of noisy rumbling, but it's cut to silence as Jager speaks. "That is a cheap price for Meister Bermuda's freedom. Who is your own, little Cloud?" 

Skull gives him a sincere smile then, offering him the machine calmly. It's still spilling the generated Flame of Night all over the place. Like some kind of funky ice-smoke generator. No, truly, Skull didn't expect that flame to feel this frigid. "Hibari Kyoya has become my Cloud. He shared his Court and the territory under his reign with me. Put Namimori under your protection and leave Kyoya's System be, then we have a deal."  
Jager calmly takes the machine from his hands, accepting his terms wordlessly and immediately turning to head into the room that houses Bermuda.

The other Vindice stays near Skull, watching him with something that feels almost like fondness. The rumbling is quieter, easier to understand now. "It delights us that you have found a system to keep. Is the Hibari child your Territory, or a part of your Court?"  
The question immediately flusters Skull and he rubs a hand through his hair shyly, blushing bright red. "He... He's Court... Definitely... A little brother kind of deal... Uh..."  
The rumbling sounds like laughter and Skull blushes darker.

Someone grumbles from the darkness. "Hibari Daichi found his way back home, what a surprise..."  
Immediately, Skull turns to the offending voice, ripping through the Flame of Night there with this abrupt rage that spikes through him. "Do **NOT** call me that!" 

The rumbling cuts of in its entirety at that, the flames retreating from his aggression and the solid Vindice fades into the darkness promptly, all of them moving out of the reach of his rage.  
Skull breathes through the blinding, red-hot fury, hunching over and clenching his hands as he tries to center himself. He's had decades of practice and the process comes naturally.

Breathe in, breathe out.  
Five things he can see, most of them, right now, his own, brightly colored get up.  
Four things he can hear, for which he decides to count the deafening silence, as well as the discussion in the next room over and the blood rushing through his head.  
Three things he can touch, including his leather suit, the stone ground and his own skin.  
Two things he can smell, his own cologne and the stench of decay and death.  
The one thing he can taste, his raspberry lipstick.  
Breathe in, breathe out. 

By then, Skull's head clears and he takes a few more deep breaths, stretching slowly and looking around. How did he end up outside? Who knows, I mean, he did just fall into rage in a prison where the guards use portal flames... Yeah...  
The presence registers a moment later and Skull turns to the person he can feel. It takes him a moment to look lower, blinking down at the only chibified Arcobaleno that's left. "Heya, Bermuda. When did we get here?" 

As always, the Vindice's master is perfectly stoic. "You fell into rage and I put us out here in case you acted out. It's been about ten minutes."  
Skull nods slowly, sighing and dropping to his butt, getting down to something that more so resembles Bermuda's height. "You good? Sorry I only got around to help now. I had... Stuff to deal with."  
Bermuda remains impassive. "I'm fine. Your help is appreciated, but unwarranted."  
Skull just sighs. "So you aren't gonna accept my terms..?"  
There might be the barest hint of amusement in that voice now. "I never said that. However, we need to clarify some things."  
The infant pulls out a scroll and Skull damn near giggles. Its just formality. If he's survived this far, Bermuda obviously isn't insulted enough to react violently, which is good.  
Still though... 

Fucking Bermuda and his damn terms of service bullcrap... 

~~9 hours til The Crash~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter cause I felt inspired and wanted the story to move on a bit more today!
> 
> BTW, I've been writing all this on mobile, so sorry if the formatting hasnht been the greatest. 😬  
> I completely forgot to mention that actually, huh...
> 
> Last, but not least! Check out this sweet piece of fanart! 🥺🤭  
> All credit to the artist @Dirkapitation1 on Twitter! 
> 
> https://mobile.twitter.com/Dirkapitation1/status/1315825678118461447


	15. Solitary Cloud Adventures part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull goes to meet a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a while! Hope you'll enjoy it anyway~!

~~8 hours til The Crash ~~

It's took a while-way, wayyyy too long actually, Skull can't feel his fingers and his nose went completely numb a few minutes ago-but, at long last, Bermuda and him managed to reach some kind of agreement they're both happy with. 

It turned out to be something like:  
'The elaborate Network of Flame sets and groups under the reign of the Tenth Vongola Cloud Guardian, Hibari Kyoya and the previous Cloud Arcobaleno, Skull DeMorte are given limited immunity from some of Omerta' s Laws.  
In exchange for this freedom, Skull De Morte volunteers to work as an honorary Vindice Guard whenever so requested.   
Both, Hibari Kyoya and Skull DeMorte will be held responsible in the case of anybody in their system endangering civilians, or acting out in inhumane ways.'

It's not an unconditional exemption in the slightest, really, the deal is much more beneficial to the Vindice, but Skull is more than willing to capture some criminals in exchange for the secure knowledge that Kyoya's loved ones won't end up in Mafia-jail over something stupid again. 

Getting Bermuda to swear off of their weird vengeance against Rokudo Mukuro was more difficult, but Skull isn't a performer for nothing. A bit of rapid blinking, an adorable pout and the promise of enough cookies to satisfy the whole Vindice in the near future did the trick in the end. 

Really, all things considered, it was a rather easy deal.

Its just stupid that, being around Bermuda this long, eventually the bastard would sense the turmoil in Skull's flame. And of course the last infant-sized adult has no sense of subtlety!   
And Skull had just been in the process of finally leaving as well! "One more thing, Skull-kun. I do not know what exactly you will get up to now. But that Clan of yours has taken notice of you. And your skillset and experiences are too unique to be wasted blood on their hands." 

And really, Skull still just doesn't know how to respond to genuine, unprompted concern. "Awe, Bermi, are you worried about me~? Don't be, I'm the immortal stuntman! Skull-kun isn't gonna get off your nerves that easily!"   
Complete with a cheesy wink and a very bright grin.

Bermuda is extremely unimpressed, understandably. Stupidly perceptive prison guards... "I do hope so. Never again getting to eat a meal you cooked for us would be a shame, truly." 

Genuine compliments is another thing Skull cannot deal with, but it's something he's been improving in as of late. Just not out of damn nowhere like this! "Uh-I... I'm gonna go now. Bye..?" 

And at least, Bermuda understands that, nodding mildly, before disappearing into his weird portal flames again. Skull just shakes himself off, patting away most of snow that landed on him in the hour he sat there and walking over to his ship again. He's probably frozen solid in some places, but their next stop is tropical anyway.

Hopefully, Skull will warm up real quick then. 

****

It takes an hour to reach the island. An hour full of snuggling Oodako and listening to everyone tell him what went on in the world while he was trapped with the other Arcobaleno to grow back into adults. 

Considering he's been on break for like three months, nothing much changed, at least in the Carcassa.  
They've been getting more orders for all kinds of bad drugs, but that's the usual when pseudo-authority figures disappear. The small increase in human trafficking is worrying, but not world shattering. Then there's fact that people have been buying weapons at around the same rate as usual. Which is oddly comforting. 

And, of course, the power balance shifted a bit when the Arcobaleno disappeared. And Carcassa reacted accordingly.  
Carcassa's last Donna, a sunny Cloud by the name Danielle, stepped down and the next Boss was chosen. Which is just more of the usual. The Boss is voted in diplomatically every few months after all.   
Skull is still a little surprised Danielle managed to hold the title for a whole year! 

This time, the Boss seems to be a pretty morally correct person again. A cloudy Rain, who ended up using the name Eitleán to honor the Carcassa's founder. Also just because xe had simply wanted a new name. Everyone has high praise for xem, all too happily telling Skull of xir extensive career in anything related to motorics and vehicle modifications.   
Skull absolutely _has_ to make time to meet xem when all this blows over. Xe sounds like so much fun! 

But first! They've finally reached the island. And yes, maybe it is a bit dramatic of Skull to outright throw himself into the sand and whine about being in the air for too long, but who's gonna stop him? The crew? Hah! They are close to following his antics themselves! 

Sadly, the theatrics can't go on forever. Skull sits up eventually, huffing a bit, before standing up and stretching wide, looking back as everyone comes off the airship.  
There's about fifteen people, looking at him so earnestly, so very obediently waiting for his commands. These Subordinates are very cute and extremely tiny. Skull has to treat them nicely. But only a little. 

He gives them all a big, bright grin. "Everyone got our stuff ready? Yeah? Great! Now come along! I want you guys to meet someone special!"   
And that's all the info he gives them for now, because, while they are so sweet, Skull has to be a little mean sometimes. It'd be no fun if he just told them all everything right away. They'd be so mad with him! 

So Skull bounces ahead without another word and they scramble after him instantly, calling for him to wait, but Skull doesn't have the time to do that. It's late afternoon already!   
He'll have to find his friend here as quick as possible.   
Even... Even if the Forrest path is gorgeous like that... And those fruits just look that delicious...   
And are those just stray kittens?! That's just-

****

Okay, maybe Skull really did get a little soft over the years. But honestly, how can he not? Look at these little sweetlings! What kind of inhumane bastard wouldn't stop to pet these darling kittens? 

There's an all black kitten that's a little shy, an adorable calico with a feisty attitude, a real curious kitten that's all brown with black spots and a little snuggle muffin that's just dark brown all over!

Look! There's even a lovely, black tabby that looks like it's wearing a tuxedo! How cute, right!?  
Although... It is pinning down the little yellow cat that just bounced over. And it's biting along lil Yellow's neck, but... They're just roughhousing, those two, right?  
Uh.... Yeah.

And maybe, just maybe this is a sign he was going a little too fast? His subordinates are panting so hard when they finally catch up with him, almost collapsing along the sidewalk and Skull very nearly pouts at them. "Did you mess up your training schedule or something? Why are you so slow?"

The responses to that are pretty split. Some staunchly refuse, while there's already some that wanna pick up training with him again and maybe that's all a little sad. 

Then, a tiny, a _tinytinytiny_ , soft little meow reaches his ears. And Skull very nearly drops the Tabby and the Yellow kitten. The brown snuggle muffin complains rather noisly when it's dislodged from its perch on Skull's lap as well. But these are not important! That tiny mew sounded so distraught! 

Skull follows the little distressed sound, finding a collapsed wooden box at the corner of the nearest alleyway. There's an orange blanket thrown into the box, a blanket that's supposed to warm and protect and shield but... But it's got holes in it. And... And a little kitten, almost all grey, got all tangled up... 

Skull kneels immediately, carefully scooping up the little dear, but it mews again when he lifts it just a little. Somehow.... Some-fucking-how It's front paw got so tangled up, its barely alive!  
This stupid, stupid, orange blanket is killing this sweet baby kitten! Making it bleed, strangling it and almost literally ripping it to pieces!

Skull is very careful when he untangels this baby, but he can't do much to salvage it's little paw. The limb is almost completely dead... Barely hanging onto the broken bone anymore and Skull aches for this sweety. So little, so very tiny, so super sweet...  
Yet the world certainly didn't welcome them with open arms... 

Much like... The world didn't receive Skull with much kindness... huh... 

Maybe... Just maybe... all the kittens have been as snuggly as the brown one and as shy as the little black one... As curious as the black-brown one and as feisty as the calico...

Maybe the black tabby and the lil Yellow are really just playfighting and not quite roughhousing yet... 

And maybe.... Maybe Skull is more.... More unstable than he thought?   
Conflating a bunch of adorable little kittens with his murderous ex-colleagues... That can't be.... healthy... Can it..?   
It might be another harmless coping stuff he just does... But it could also be some kind of delusion thing, which would worry Kyoya and that's not okay... 

Then a hand plops down on Skull's shoulder and he damn near jumps straight into the sun. 

Luckily, Enma manages to look just apologetic enough that Skull forgives him immediately. Skull gives his young friend a strained smile. "You startled me, Enma-kun!" 

Enma looks positively charinged, almost flinching away, before his eyes drop down to Skull's hands and go wide with shock. "That... What happened?" 

Skull just sighs heavily, cradling the suffering kitten carefully. Enma joins him immediately, gently brushing a finger over the little dear's head. "I don't know. It got tangled up in this trashy blanket. Think that cut the bloodflow..."

Enma makes a pained little noise in reply, gently scarchting behind the dear's ears. Somehow this absolute darling manages to purr despite everything. Both of them immediately _melt._  
Then, Skull remembers why he came here in the first place, almost twitching, just about keeping steady with the little life in his palms. "Ah- Enma? I... I didn't mess up the date, right? Is today...?" 

Enma's expression sours for all of a second, turning anguished, before smoothing into something more neutral. He manages a light nod, standing up and gesturing Skull to come along. "You came on time. Come on." 

Skull stands up smoothly, cradling the darling kitten in his arms and biting his lower lip. "Do any of your guys know... Like, veterinarian stuffs?" 

Enma manages one of those tired smiles of his, already out the alleyway again and starting down the street. "I know some basics... Let's just.... Go already." 

Skull tries to follow him and promptly, almost trips over the little tuxedo cat. The tiny devil rubs up against his leg and goes full on motorboat. Enma gives him a bit of a look, perhaps a little impatient and on edge. Skull understands the feeling. Today wouldn't be a good day for his small, redhead friend... 

Well, it's not like Skull has to juggle 7 kittens on his own. Really, what else are subordinates good for anyway? "Guys. Each of you, grab a kitten and come along. Pronto this time. We're pressed for time here." 

Skull doesn't wait to confirm that they're following his instructions. Enma is in a hurry and so is he, following his buddy. Oodako... Well.  
His darling best friend finally moves from one of their subordinates's arms to snuggle up against Skull's shoulder. Even if he's getting jostled about a little now, the tiny voice that speaks into Skull's mind is calm and steady. 'What day is it? Why are we here?' 

Skull has to heave a small sigh, managing a little smile despite the heavy feeling in the air. It's a little difficult to form a clear though. A lot of planning went into today, afterall. 'Today's an important... anniversary, 'Dako. We are... We're here as moral support.' 

The rest of the trip, Skull makes an effort to remain in contemplative, or perhaps... somber silence. 

~~6 hours til The Crash~~


	16. Sociable Cloud Adventures part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What mischief is Kyoya getting up to while unsupervised?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Cloud is not a mentally sound individual. He's got some major issues and this is just a glimpse of that.

He has been wandering these eerily quiet halls for a short while, but he still can't get rid of all of the tension thruming through his body. It's like he's wound up, but not really. It's a weird sort of half-tension.  
But it's okay. 

The next corridor he turns into isn't empty. There are so many of them here, crowded together, quietly talking to one another. It's unnatural how silent they truly are. He almost can't hear their heartbeats at just this short distance. It's bizarre.   
But it's fine. 

Their eyes pass over him, not unseeing, but uninterested. It's more of a relief, even if a part of him grumbles with the fact they're underestimating him. He silences that part swiftly, shrouding himself in the weaker of his flames and even that, just minimally.   
They cannot catch him. 

It's a dangerous balance he has to strike. He can't let them know he even has flames at his disposal. At the same time, it's the only way for him to move through these hallways without drawing their attention. And he absolutely cannot afford to let them catch him.   
It would be his death sentence. 

He passes them by, walking further, breathing low and quiet, picking his path through foggy memories until the place starts to look even remotely familiar. There. He remembers this room more clearly, so he gravitate towards it.   
There is nobody here that could see him. 

He stands besides the door, listening in on the barely there conversation inside. The first voice, is sickeningly familiar. He has to bite his lip not to make a sound. The pain also grounds him through the process of reeling his flame in tighter.   
"The Arcobaleno Curse was broken. That means two of our own are on the market again." 

The second voice is less familiar, but he immediately favors that person more. They aren't driven by insane delusions. Still, he keeps a tight, _tight_ handle of his flame. Raging won't help anyone in this situation. He isn't here to fight for once.  
"That is insanity, sir. Tempest belongs with the Triads. And Shinigami... We were never able to control him."

The first voice is calm. So utterly calm. As though he isn't talking of his own flesh and blood in such a degrading way.  
"We might not be able to control Daichi... However, he has aligned himself to somebody. We can use this person to control Daichi." 

The sickened feeling returns with a vengeance. He barely manages to keep calm through that wave of rage. He needed just a moment to soothe the trashing Cloud at his core. At least the second voice sounds just as nauseated.   
"Sir... Are... Are you talking about your Youngest? How... How do you plan to make use of him?" 

This time, there is a vague emotion in the disturbing man's voice. He sounds almost _amused_. "Daichi has always been unnecessarily protective."  
Then there is a tone of disgust. Good riddance, huh.   
"And my... Youngest, as you call him... He's expendable. And possessive of that little town of his. If we manipulate that freak of nature, Daichi will follow right along." 

The second voice sounds unsure, but dazed. Sky attraction can be one hell of a trip after all. And this disturbed being doesn't shy back from making use of that.  
"Sir, your youngest Son is _Vongola_. Harming him would cause international war. Not to mention the fact that Daichi would fall into rage the moment we touched him..."

The vague amusement returned. It's still a rather vile voice...  
"He's expendable in this. And Vongola is meaningless. The moment Daichi rages, my goal will have been reached. That sweet boy's sanity is hanging by a silken thread. Once he gives into insanity... He will fall into his purpose naturally." 

There is a tremble in the other voice. They're straining to speak a coherent thought through the absolutely oppressive amount of Sky flames.   
"S... Sir... This is not going to work. That boy will..." 

The amusement left, now that voice sounds dismissive and just downright evil.  
"And anyway, I will not outright hurt the Freak. After we are done with his system, he will come back willingly. If we put a bit of pressure on a child that unstable... He'll cave easily."

The second voice is on the brink of death, suffocating slowly under sky flames much too heavy for them. Yet still, they try to form clear sentences.  
"Sir.... What'll.... You... "

The voice is just dismissive now. And it shifted. It's closer. **Far too damn close!**  
"I'll pick out the weakest point of that Freak's system. Once that's shredded to pieces, the damage will be irreparable. You'll see." 

The next moment, the door opens and dull, lavender eyes meet narrowed silver.   
He shrouds himself entirely. A touch of Cloud in his smile, wrapping himself entirely in a shroud of mist.Even these lavender eyes pass over him, losing interest before noticing him. A shroud of Mist flames can be useful after all...   
Instead, Hibari Ienaga looks back into the room, nods quietly in goodbye, before walking away silently then. Again, these sort of... monsters just make no noise. It's almost unsettling. 

Regardless of that, Kyoya didn't come here just to eavesdrop. He enters the room his father just left, walking up to the trembling form on the ground. Some kind of distant uncle. About as related to him as Fon might be. Someone he vaguely remembers from the times he still lived here. Not a good person then.  
"I think you have some information I could use, herbivore." 

The man looks up at him, empty, dull eyes, pale skin, blue lips. He'll be dead soon. Suffocated by Sky flames. What a pitiful way to go...   
Kyoya couldn't be bothered to feel bad for him. He crouches down calmly, grabbing the man by the hair and speaking lowly to him. He can't speak as quietly as the other Monsters here, but he's getting closer.  
"You will tell me everything you know about Daichi's training and this odd... _purpose_ of his. Have I made myself clear?" 

He receives a slow, barely there nod as a reply. But the herbivore does speak up after a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this insane child really went back to the Clan's compound that he was born in.  
> No, he is not okay with what he just heard and what this weird Uncle of his will tell him.
> 
> Yes there is a whole other side of the story that I haven't gotten around to yet. Kyoya is a person too and he has a whole different view of things.
> 
> Should i write a whole other fanfic, just about his story?   
> Tell me in the comments~! 💜🌤️💜🌤️💜  
> Thanks for reading!


	17. Solitary Cloud Adventures part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull understands Death. Death is not something you encounter only once in life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't feeling this chapter too much, mostly because of personal struggles getting worse, but it's time to move this story forward!

~~5 hours til The Crash~~

It's a somber kind of day. The kind of day when the usual bright blue of the sky is just a little duller. When the spectacular sunset is just a bit underwhelming. Or maybe that's the atmosphere.  
In Skull's humble option, the Simon have always been a lively bunch. Seeing them, dressed in all black with just a quiet greeting on their lips is a little jarring. 

But it's not something he didn't see coming. They're standing in a cemetery, after all. The whole place is a little bleak and sad. At least, for now. That's why he's here, after all, to help out, mostly.  
Enma already sounds a little lost, speaking up in such a quiet voice. "Skull... I don't... Maybe I shouldn't..." 

But Skull wasn't gonna let his friend talk himself into a spiral. He lightly grabs the boy by the arm, bringing him forward a step and closer to his side. "Don't be like that. They're waiting for you." 

The moment he'd touched the little Simon's boss, tensions rose, but when Enma came willingly, it ebbed away easily again. Protective as ever. As they should be. Enma is a treasure and treasures should be guarded by fierce dragons. "I said I'd help you out with this, didn't I? I hold my word, Enma. Come on..." 

Enma swallowed lightly, nodding, before stepping past him and out of his hold, walking ahead slowly. He faltered a bit just before the grave, so Skull wandered over to stand besides him, looking at his buddy and giving him an encouraging smile. Enma gave him a withering, weak little frown, but a mild, reassuring touch on the boy's lower back was all it took for him to take the last few steps. 

And really, Skull should've expected him to drop to his knees so easily. Enma has no inkling of Cloud on him. Pride is not something he needs to overcome. Skull is happy for him in that regard at least. He joins his friend after a moment of deliberation, getting on his knees next to him and lightly touching Emma's trembling hand. "Do you need to cry some, now? It's fine, you know. That's why we're here for. To cry and grieve." 

And Enma whines like some wounded animal, nodding, but closing his eyes, flustering the smallest bit. Skull knows that feeling as well. When you're too awkward to be the only one crying. There is one simple solution for that. Now just to make it genuine. He looks at the gravestone, letting his eyes trace over the words, reading along then. "A caring husband, a kind wife, a beloved daughter.... Mami, hm?" 

Enma twitches next to him, but Skull kepeps his focus on that one name, shaping the word on his lips. "Mami... You didn't tell me a lot about her... But she'd been so, so young... A little darling, you said, right?" 

Skull looks then, at Emma's gleaming eyes, at his twisted expression, at the grief and anguish and rage that's still there. He looks at that and manages a soft, watery smile. "I would have _loved_ to meet her, Enma. I know this isn't my place to be... But if she was anything like you... I would've loved her as though she was my own baby sister..." 

And that is all it takes for his heart to ache in earnest, tears stinging his eyes and trailing down his cheeks. "We might not be very close, but... If I could, I would've given my life for her." 

Enma's trembling slowly stops and Skull doesn't look when quiet sniffling starts up. He's focused on the gravestone again, biting his lower lip and sighing softly. No matter how many times he's confronted with death... His heart aches the same way still. So he takes the time to compose himself.

Skull knew he'd cry. That's the reason he went with minimal make up for a change. Just a trace of lipstick, his bandaids and some slight foundation, just to blend over redness or other blemishes.  
Enma hadn't made a comment. Maybe he had an idea of what was gonna happen too. 

Skull then takes a deep, deep breath, straightening up his back and huffing faintly. "Alrighty alrighty. Enough crying. Enma?" 

One look and, yeah, lil treasure was composing himself just fine as well. Skull gives him a genuine smile then, all soft and kind and comforting. "Let's do some grave maintance, shall we?" 

Enma nods then, a spark of determination back in his eyes and, even if it dulls again immediately, it's quite enough. Skull gestures lightly to his entourage, giving them an impatient look. "My tools? I put them in the red bag. Give 'em here." 

Predictably, one of his sweet, little subordinates clambers over immediately, pulling the bag off their back and handing the whole thing over to him. Skull has to roll his eyes at the slightly mad scramble, pursing his lips and frowning a bit. "If you can't be respectful, leave. Please." 

They go bright red, shuffling in place a bit and stepping away again, bowing their head in apology. Skull forgives them easily enough, pulling his focus back to the task at hand. There's more important things to do. 

First, he pulls out the hot pink spray bottle, turning to Enma and returning his rapid blinking. "You did want to clean the grave up a bit, right?" 

Enma tilts his head a little, nodding slightly. "What's in that? Will it... be safe?" 

Skull gives him a calm smile, handing over the bottle. Enma fumbles around a bit, seemingly flustered. Very cute. "It's just some warm water, don't worry. I read up on some stuff. It's recommended to clean graves with just water and a soft bristled brush." 

Enma blinks at him some more while Skull goes hunting through his bag, returning when he's finally found said brush and waving it about, keeping his voice light and neutral. "Just spray water on the places that are dirty and use this to scrub it off, you know?"

And despite the massive weight on his shoulder, the sadness in his heart and the grief that still fuels him... In that moment, Enma manages a smile for him. 

And Skull remembers why he chose this boy to be his representative. Why he chose this friend to be his teammate.  
Somebody that carries such weights day in, day out and can still smile a smile that lovely. A truly powerful and kind friend to have.  
Perhaps Enma is just a bit like him. Which might make this easier for everybody. 

There is no tactful way to bring it up, really, not in this kind of situation, but Skull can just about be patient enough to finish cleaning and decorating the grave.  
Enma is a clever man though. He probably knew Skull came here for a reason before they'd even greeted each other. 

Placing a flower Wreath, lighting some incense and paying their respects through prayer... 

And immediately afterwards, Enma turns to him, a spark in his eyes, tension in his shoulders. A confrontation. And Skull feels bad already. "What else did you come here for, Skull?"

Skull manages a little smile, taking a quick breath and relaxing a bit. "I'm asking this as a friend and... As the leader of the Carcassa's Kamikaze Division. The people I came here with today, can't come along to the next place I'm going to. Can they stay here until someone can come to pick them up? I need to go. Alone. And soon."

Tensions rise and explode, complaints, denial, anger, refusal, but Enma stays calm through it all. Something... is exchanged as they stand there, looking into each other's eyes. Maybe Enma can read his intentions. Sees him for who he is and comes to terms with it.

His voice is calm, peaceful even and the spark remains in his eyes. It cuts the tension in half, pushes the complaints down to **silence**. "I'm fine with that. As long as you swear you will return here in a week."

And Skull gives a smile because that is definitely a promise he intends to hold. "I swear. Goodbye... For now. Now guys!" 

He turns to his disgruntled, adorable little subordinates and has to sigh. "Be kind, won't you? You can't follow where I need to go. Just call someone to pick you up." 

And eventually, even they let him go. Now it's just him and Oodako.

And inevitability on the horizon

~~3 hours til The Crash~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be Skull talking with Oodako mostly! Best friend time~
> 
> How did i do writing Enma though? Tell me in the comments!


	18. Solitary Cloud Adventures part 4/Impact of perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull explains, struggles, _feels_ and fulfills his end of their plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this in one sitting, hope you'll enjoy!

~~2 hours til The Crash~~

Starting up the airship on his own is simpler than it'd seems. Just press a few buttons, pull a few levers, one or two pulses of Cloud flame and off they go.  
Still, the silence is suffocating, especially when tensions are running this high. "... Um... Are you mad with me? "

Of course, Oodako doesn't bother to reply, not even turning to look at him, instead, he's aimlessly shifting his tentacles through the sand at the bottom of his fishbowl. Skull purses his lips, sighing softly then. "Come on, 'Dako. I wasn't gonna explain anything when anyone could've overheard us..."

At this, Oodako snaps at him, not with words, just an odd, telepathic wave of displeasure. Skull whines automatically and wiggles in place a bit , turning to look at his best friend. "I mean it! Ask me anything and I'll explain now!" 

Oodako looks at him, obviously doubtful and furious, but the voice that drifts into his mind is deceptively calm. 'Why leave others?'

Skull manages a strained smile, choosing to ignore the deeper, potential question and instead referring to their subordinates. "Ah, the guys and gals? They can't come along. We're going to Argentina, after all."

And this time, Oodako fury is righteous. His voice is booming and if he were any harsher, Skull would have to pull away from their telepathic bond for good. ' **Not what I meant!** '

Skull actually flinched, pulling his shoulders up to his ears and tipping his head forward. " **Don't shout at me!** "

The silence that follows _That_ outburst is nothing compared to when they started. Oodako voice sounds much softer as well when he speaks again, his words soothing now. 'Want to understand...'

Skull sighs softly, letting the tension bleed out of him. "I just... The others... You gotta listen 'Dako... They weren't gonna change. No matter what I told them they're..."

Admitting it out loud, finalizes the thought in his mind. It feels so _empty_. Skull had never wanted to feel that hopelessness again, but here we are. "Reborn, Colonello, Verde, Fon, Lal, even Mammon... They're just... Set in their ways, you know? **None** of them would've listened... 'Dako. If I told them anything about myself they..." 

He isn't crying. There's just something in his eyes. He **can't** waste anymore tears on them... He can't, he can't! "They would've... dismissed me at best."

Truth taste like hatred and bile, who would've thought. "At worst, they would've believed me and been terrified. We both _know_ this." 

And Oodako, sweet, kind, little Oodako, still tries to defend them. 'We can not know that! You never tell them anything!'

Skull loves his Bestie with his whole heart, always and forever. But Oodako's forgiveness is on another level. He can almost _taste_ the bitter words on his tongue. "I'd rather **die** , than have them look at me like I'm some kind of **Monster**..." 

Now Oodako just sounds indignant and desperate, but Skull can't see past the purple haze of hatred anymore. 'Don't say that! Remember your ideals! Remember your morals!' 

It takes several deep, _deep_ breaths, but eventually, the purple haze filters out of his view again and the steering wheel comes back into focus. For a second, his mind is drifting, unbound, aimless, then he pulls himself back together. However, what tumbles out of him aren't words of comfort. "... Oodako... What good are morals to a biohazard?" 

Oodako must've gotten himself moving somehow, because next thing Skull knows, he has his arms full of desperately wiggling tentacles, grasping madly at his arms and shoulders. And a _devastated_ voice shouting, breaking through the last of the fog in his mind. ' **Don't _EVER_ call yourself that!**' 

And trying to do anything when you have a crying mass of tentacles in your arms is difficult, so Skull does the only thing he's capable of. He flops down to the ground, gathering Oodako as close as he can and burying his face in his best friend. The tears hit full force now and, within moments, he's sobbing heavily. "I... 'm sorry... I... I just-" 

And Oodako somehow wraps all around him, snuggling tightly against him and just about managing to keep him together. His voice is even more soothing now, wrapping around his thoughts and keeping him grounded. 'Shhhh... It's okay...it's okay...' 

There's tentacles tracing through his hair and Skull is reminded of the way Kyoya would pet his hair whenever they hugged.  
He wants to go home. He wants to curl up on the living room couch and cry himself to sleep and wake up with a lapful of cuddly Baby Cloud and-and-and- "I just... don't want them to look at me..." 

And Oodako keeps rubbing his hair and shoulders. That might be the only thing keeping him from wailing like a little kid. 'Nobody is looking. Please. They not looking. It's fine.'

And slowly, in just a few minutes time, his breathing evens out again. He stays curled up around his friend for a while longer though, enjoying the very thorough petting he is given. "... 'Dako? I don't wanna be a biohazard..."

Oodako sounds very faintly amused. Most of him is still very concerned and sad though. 'You not. You Skull de Morte. Don't get confused.'

And honestly, Skull might be pouting like a little kid by now. He feels very childish at least. "I'm not confused." 

Then again... Where did that even come from? Biohazard? Sheesh...  
Sounds like something an absolute asshole would think. He might be the 'World's strongest Cloud' but a _biohazard_?  
Stupid...

Oodako ruffles his hair then and Skull lifts his head, pouting right at his buddy. "This never happened."  
And with how amused Oodako looks, Skull knows for sure he'll bring it up for a long time to come. 

Then, the huge monitor above the steering wheel flickers to life, flashing a notification at them over and over. Skull just raises an eyebrow. "Who the fuck sends emails these days?"

Oodako nudges him, huffing faintly and Skull just stands up. He sighs softly again, taking another few, deep breaths, before reaching out and pressing the button to open the mail.

Immediately, the message pops up, and Skull's eyebrows shoot up. How the fuck did _Fon_ get his email address? 

- _Hey Skull I don kno if u r there but dis important <(｀^´)>  
We watched tapes we found in ur circus. One of them show ur 1st meeting with Checkerfack.  
We saw u punch him! （ ﾟ Дﾟ)_-

Which just makes him blink rapidly. Fon seems rather hyped... Just how much of that night did the others see then? 

- _And I need u to know how beautiful dat is! (/◕ヮ◕)/ ♥️  
U r teh only Arcobaleno dats evr got revenge on dat bastard! (*^▽^*)  
Dats amazing! (✿◠‿◠)  
U were wonderful Id watch that scene on loop 4evr! ∩(·ω·)∩_-

And yeah, that might've made Skull blush, but so what?! Fon doesn't praise people very often! Or... At all, really... Gosh can he blush any harder?! 

- _All that praise aside. When I saw your form I recalled a distant memory._ -

.... Okay, what the hell? Fon can write normally? Like... What even? Distant memory? Huh? The fuck? 

- _You used a style very similar to the first one I was ever taught myself. The person that helped me master this martial art has always been very dear to me._ -

Skull frowns then, trying to remember how exactly he'd punched Checkerface that fateful night. The memories sure are distant as fuck, but... He'd just... Punched the guy, right? Nothing fancy about it. He just pounced and drilled his fists into that stupid, hideous mask...

- _He was my first and only teacher.  
I've been searching him for many years, as he invented that martial art and it is one of the most difficult ones I've mastered to this day. I feel i have a lot left to learn from this man.  
Unfortunately, my search has been unsuccessful so far._-

And that's the point Fon loses him completely. Sure, Fon might not be openly hostile towards him, but... Sharing stuff from the past, dreams, ambitions...  
None of this was ever anything they did. Sure, there were some times they discussed philosophy over cups of tea, but... It never got this... Personal? If that's the right word? 

- _That aside, there is something else I have to ask of you._ -

... Is this even Fon? Did someone hack the Storm's email? Curiosity is the only thing that keeps him reading at this point. 

Then, it happens.  
**- _Have you ever known a young boy named Tempest?_ -**

...

Skull continues to read. There's a sense of urgency in him and he doesn't know where it's coming from. 

- _He owes that teacher of mine a lot. I'm afraid Tempest may never meet that man again. But just in case you have contact to him, could you give him a message?_ -

Something is clenched around his heart and Skull doesn't know what else to do except to continue reading.  
There's despereation rushing through his veins, brushing up against his flames and making him flare up, almost. 

- _Tempest would like to tell him 'Thank you.' Most of all._ -

And that's when things begin to make a little more sense. 

- _'Thank you for pulling me out of the darkness and showing me there is nothing to fear in my own light._ -

Why Fon looks to other people for moral guidance. 

- _Thank you for being there for me when the world had forsaken me._ -

Why, every so often, Fon looked to **Skull** for guidance and reassurance. 

- _Thank you for seeing more in me than some bloodsoaked monster._ -

Why, after a particularly bloody battle, Fon's first priority is composing himself. 

- _Thank you for feeding me, for giving me shelter and safety, for showing me that hope is not supposed to be a distant dream._ -

Why, the only time they were stuck someplace without food and water, Fon spend the entirety of the time, right up until they managed to get free, in rigid meditation. 

- _Thank you for teaching me that strength means little if it's uncontrollable._ -

Why Fon is always so adamant about the topics of self control and getting to know your weapon as though it's an extension of yourself. 

- _Thank you for being there for me, even when I was blind to it all.'_ -

 **Why** Fon seemed **familiar** the first time they met. 

- _I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for me._ -

And that realization is gutwrenching. It's an uncontrollable mixture of guilt, self-loathing, confusion, anger and grief.  
Skull can't **breathe**. 

- _I miss you, Skull. We have a lot to discuss. Please come back. All of us miss you. We can't continue on like this. Not without you._ -

There's tears trailing down his cheeks, desperation clawing at his heart, a scream fighting it's way up his throat.  
He can't blink, can't speak.  
Hell, Skull can't even catch a clear thought. 

**- _Send at 20:18_ -**

THIS WAS SENT _FIVE HOURS_ AGO?!?!

And Skull's first, immediate instinct is to scramble for his phone and open the email there. He's just about to type out his reply, when **something** pulls him to a full stop. 

It's his flame. With all these emotions flying high through him, it's really no surprise he flared up.  
That's not what's giving him pause. No, it's what he can sense through his flame. At the very edges of it, actually.

Pinpricks. Little, pathetic, familiarly unfamiliar flames, bristling over the surface of him, needling into him with sick desperation.  
Like something is trying to forcefully cut him open and slip under his skin. 

... How the fuck did the Clan find him this quickly?!

Skull types in a quick reply, pushing his phone back into one of his pockets in the next second, scrambling for the steering wheel and forcing it to the side. The entire airship tips over with that move, just barely avoiding the first attack and nearly sending Oodako crashing into a wall. Skull doesn't stop to worry about it, things have just turned urgent. "Oodako! Take the wheel and keep us steady!"

Predictably, his friend is tough afterall, Oodako pulls himself over and wraps his many arms around the steering wheel. One of them pushes the button to turn on the radars, giving Oodako the visuals to avoid the next two attacks.

And although they can toss the entire airship back and forth drastically, Skull knows this won't be enough. Eventually, they'll be hit.  
At this speed, at least. "Brace yourself, 'Dako! I'm initiating the boosters!" 

And Oodako sounds downright _thrilled_ , even if said boosters were an experimental installment at best. 'Yessir!' 

Experimental or not, it's their best chance at getting where they need to be for this. Skull clips a harness onto his belt, throwing open the control room's exit and running out onto the outside catwalks of the ship.

The tossing and turning throws him around a bit, but eventually, he makes his way to the engine room. And then it's a simple matter of pushing a few more buttons.  
And filling the fuel tank with the purest Cloud flame he can produce, of course.  
One last button pushed and then they're off.

Thank fuck he put on a harness, cause the initial boost nearly threw him off his feet!

Understandably, with the wind rushing past at such high speeds, it's much more difficult to get back to the control room, but Skull manages well enough.And it's a good thing too, Oodako is just barely holding on anymore.  
He's much too soft and squishy to hang onto the steering wheel at such speeds. Skull simply scoops him up, attaches his harness to the steering wheel and pulls them back on course. "Thanks 'Dako! Let's hope this is enough!" 

And it is. Within just minutes, they must've passed Artentina's borders. They're just a few seconds away from reaching their destination. Which is a good thing, too. The fuel tank is almost empty and the flames he left there aren't enough to keep up. 

Also, at this point, Skull can feel them. Faintly, but that's definitely them. Verde, Lal, Colonello... Mammon... Reborn... Tempest... All of them. There they are. 

And Skull doesn't know what possesses him to do so, but a part of him let's them back in.  
A part of him let's them come close and touch the very surface of his flames again.

And really, what did he expect?  
With how he left them...  
And how desperately they've been searching him...  
Of course they'd punish him the moment he returned. That doesn't stop the soft, anguished noise that leaves him.

Skull never liked it when they shoved his flame beneath theirs like this. The bottom of their hierarchy is suffocating. It's dark and cold and so damn _lonely_.  
Did they not want him here after all..?

Cause this is exactly what made him leave in the first place! Nobody that wants him would ever treat him like this!

A little smile quirks Skull's lips then. Because, despite it all, he kind of missed them anyways. Even if their presence is oppressive and suffocating and bruising... The core of him missed the whisps of warmth he can feel radiating off of them...

That doesn't change facts, however.  
Skull... Skull deserves better...  
He deserves someone that can give warmth without punishment... Someone welcoming and kind and adorable.  
Someone like Kyoya.

Gods he misses his baby brother. 

And really, that's all the distraction needed for the attacks to take out his engines. Oodako curls up in his arms, going very tiny and Skull tucks him extra close.

They came here for a reason. To fulfill their part of Kyoya's little Plan. 

Even as everything around them sparks and catches on fire, Skull keeps his focus, breaking open the control room's door and hurling himself off the side of the airship.  
He just about manages to catch a glimpse of it as it goes up in flames. As in, his darling airship literally explodes.  
Successfully taking out the attackers as well! Hell yeah! 

Then, Skull tucks himself into a tight little ball around Oodako, breaking several thick branches and landing _roughly_ on some kind of forest floor. He just about managed to push off the ground with his legs, curling back up then and rolling off the rest of the impact. 

Everything hurts.  
The world is spinning.  
The sky is wreathed in flames.  
And it's raining molten metal. 

This is exactly the kind of spectacular exit Skull de Morte deserved. 

Now... All that's left for him to do... Is to contact a certain someone... 

Unsurprisingly, Kyoya sounds rather calm. Brat is probably sitting in his office, doing paperwork right around this time... "How did things go, Niichan?" 

And there's dust and smoke on his tongue. And he's bruised to all hell. His suit is ripped in several places and he'll probably find splinters for weeks to come. "It fucking worked." 

_**He's free.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _~~~Tadaaaa!~~~_
> 
> In case it's unclear, Skull just faked his own death. ☠️☁️
> 
> This had been their evil plan all along.
> 
> The Baby Cloud is corrupting the Cinnamon Cloud, oh no! 😱😱😱
> 
> What do you think, how did I do?


	19. Sociable Cloud Adventure part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoya is a master of stealth!  
> Sometimes.  
> He doesn't fear the boogeyman, but there are Monsters even he hesitates to brawl with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly should've posted this chapter before the last one. It explains some pretty vital stuff. Mostly just the random freak out Skull had last chapter, but oh well. 
> 
> Please enjoy~!

"You will tell me everything you know about Daichi's training and this odd... _purpose_ of his. Have I made myself clear?"  
Kyoya receives a slow, barely there nod as a reply. But the herbivore does speak up after a moment. "Shinigami is... It's our main goal..." 

And the man is turning an interesting shade of blue at this point. Kyoya has more information to gather, however. A little pulse of his flame is enough for the man to return to a healthier skin shade.  
But neither of them are under any delusions. The man is dying, here, today, whether Kyoya prolongs his torture, or not. "Shinigami was... _is_ a vital part of Ienaga-sama's plan..."

Kyoya is getting impatient by now. This shouldn't be this annoying. He has a school to run, for God's sake. He doesn't have all day! "Hurry it up already." 

The man sends him a glare, but Kyoya simply pulls his flame back just a bit and immediately the man is scrambling for purchase in his grasp, eyes wide and panicked. "Stop stop-I will talk-I'll-"

And Kyoya let's him have some of his flame again, even if it makes his skin _crawl_. "Well?"

The man sighs faintly, going limp in his hold.  
"Ienaga wants to breed some kind of super human race into existence... Shinigami is only vital in that plan as a sort of kill switch for the rest of humanity... His Cloud... His flame is of such magnitudes that... That..."

The man somehow manages to use one arm to grab his collar loosely , despite the fact that there are veins bulging along his temples, blood propagating in his veins at ridiculous levels. Kyoya might be growing a little distraught. The man's eyes are unfocused, but so, so passionate.  
_He's fucking **insane**._ Just like the rest of them. "Shinigami's flame is magnificent... It can overwhelm any other with just a fraction of its true density... It could - it **has** killed entire populations within _Minutes_ -"

Kyoya shakes the insane herbivore off, dropping him on the floor and frowning darkly. The herbivore is still babbling, growing more incoherent by the second. "I've seen it-! It's so beautiful--one moments, there's nothing, the next-oh the next-!"

The man is crawling towards him and Kyoya takes an involuntary step backwards. He's... Never dealt well with herbivorous meltdowns, such as this... He also really hates the gleeful glint in the man's eyes. "Shinigami is the genocidal poison to Ienaga's prophecy! He'll purify this world of the non-believers! He'll-"

And that's the point Kyoya grows sick of it all. One, well placed, downward strike and the herbivore's head caves in _beautifully_. Honestly, it's a very quick, painless way to go. Just one sickening crunch and the insane ramblings are cut short, which is a relief. Kyoya'd been about to tell the lunatic herbivore where to shove his insane ideas and that kind of language... Ugh... 

... Ah, Anyway. He needed to get going. The shouting probably attracted scavengers and he'd rather not cause a scene just yet... There's still one thing for him to do, after all. 

So Kyoya slips past the first person that bursts into the room, shrouding himself in a heavier layer of mist as he walks calmly down the hallway.  
Noise explodes behind him, the scavengers immediately discussing whatever happened for that man to go on a rant before he died.

So they haven't sensed him yet. Good.  
He follows vague memories down the hallway and stays to the right, keeping out of the way as armed guards rush over to the commotion. Maybe to silence everyone, maybe to investigate. Whatever, not important. 

Eventually, a door just... _Looks_ right and when he opens it, he finds the offices. Which is exactly where he needs to be. What joy.

And then, it's just sorting through stacks of random papers.  
Most of them, utterly useless junk.  
Some, more interesting, just for foundation purposes.

But Kyoya can't find what he came here for, at least not as quickly as he'd like. The files ended up being way, way in the back of a cabinet, sorted under a completely wrong year.  
They didn't even get the decade right! How is this organization even remotely functional with paperwork management this atrocious?! 

At long last, he got everything he'd need. And because he's feeling generous, he leaves the mess as is, simply opening the nearest _shōji_ and walking out into the backyard.  
Then it's really just a quick jump over the electric fence and he's moving before he even hits the ground. 

It was... Surprisingly easy to get Skull's legal documents.  
And hey, Kyoya even managed not to get any brain-goop on his uniform this time around!  
Well... Almost. But still, it's progress! Skull would be proud! 

Which is admittedly an... odd thought to have, but he refuse to examine that closer. For now at least. He isn't done yet. He hasn't yet fulfilled his part of their little plan. He still needs to forge legal papers to create an entirely new identity.

In all honesty though? The rest is up to Skull...

And that weird Circus of his...


	20. A Tender High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull gets moving after the Crash.

_"Its fucking worked."_

Skull can hear the rustling of some papers, there's also the low rumbling of distant voices and, closer, a faint whistling. It's the tune Tetsuya-san whistles when he's distracted with work, so Skull guessed right. Kyoya is probably at school. He also sounds faintly amused. "I told you it would. How did things go." 

Skill just lies there, breathing softly for a few moments. Even if everything just _aches_ , that isn't what gives him pause.  
It's just.... He's free. He's actually **_free_**. It... takes him a while to form a coherent reply. "I... So much happened, Kyo... I'm actually-... It actually worked..." 

And Kyoya must be absurdly pleased himself, since he actually indulges his rambling. "Yes, Niichan. It worked."

Skull takes a deep breath, slowly, carefully releasing the one hand he had clenched over Oodako on his chest. Little darling looks dazed, but he didn't get squished at all. Thank God... "I... The whole ship blew up... I think it was.. Pretty convincing?" 

Kyoya does this adorable half giggle, sounding openly pleased by now. It sounds like home and warmth. Skull melts, just a little. "That must've been _spectacular_."

And before he knows it, Skull's already shot upright and raised his voice, just a bit. There's adrenaline singing through his veins and he feels like he could fly away if he jumped just a little higher. "It was so damn cool! The Clan send goddamn attack bombers after me and they just went _rattatata_ , but I activated the boosters and we went _swooosh~_!" 

Kyoya is giggling softly with his excitement and it's sounds like bells and coming home. Something is just within reach, a touch lingering on the tips of Skull's fingers. A bond, glowing with the brightness of a thousand suns. It's **blinding**. "They couldn't keep up at all, Kyo-it was- it was fucking _magical_ , okay?!" 

That's what pushes Kyoya over from giggling, into outright laughter. It's the most beautiful sound Skull ever heard. He can almost hear the charming smile Kyoya is probably hiding behind some papers by now. That's how _lovingkindwarm **fond**_ Kyoya's voice sounds! "I'm so happy for you..." 

It glorious and much too precious to be disturbed by words, so Skull cements the moment in his mind, letting it fade naturally. After a second, Kyoya primly clears his throat and the thought of the blush on his cheeks chases a smile onto Skull's lips. "That's all nice and... Stuff. But how did things go, really?" 

His smile fades a bit, mellowing out a little and he scratches lightly over Oodako's head. His little friend preens under the attention and it's another source of glee for him. "I sensed them, Kyo. They saw. I made sure of that. Pulled 'em along, moments before the first attack managed to hit."

Oodako squishes himself flat on his palm, snuggling fiercely into his skin and Skull belatedly realizes he's still in his funeral get up. It's just... The usual biker suit, he simply ditched the gloves and shoulder pads.  
It's a little uncomfortable having the skin of his hands exposed to the elements like this, but he has spare gloves in a pocket somewhere. He'll put them on right after Oodako finishes snuggling up on him. 

Kyoya's voice is what pulls him back to the topic at hand. "Can you make sure they saw-" 

That's when another voice cuts through the quiet night, echoing through the forest Skull landed in. It sounds like desperation and grief.

**"SKULL-?!"**

That's... Reborn... Right? Has to be... Sounds just like him. And... Well, Skull's kinda... Near-ish to the crash site.

**"SKULL-!? PLEASE!!"**

Is... Reborn seriously screaming his name like that? He sounds so... Upset. Somehow? 

Skull's body is frozen solid and his flame is trashing under his skin, desperate to rip away from his grasp and soothe the overbearing, devastated sun at the edge of his senses.   
Skull's voice sounds faint to his own ears, stiff with distress. "Reborn's screaming my name. Baby Cloud. Help." 

And all amusement left Kyoya's voice, just like that. Distantly, Skull whines at the loss of it. "Skull de Morte. Focus on my voice. They are not worth it. It's the height of the moment. Do NOT answer that call. _Don't you dare._ " 

And Skull, _somehow_ manages to reel his flame in, his entire body shaking with the effort of keeping himself still. Instincts demand he runs out of hiding and calls out to his ex-colleagues, but that... That's not something he'll put himself through... Not anymore.  
Still, the stress of it all forces a tremble into his voice. "Baby I... Our B-Bond... Can I..." 

And before he even really finishes his request, it's like something solid pushes through him, latching onto his flame and forcing him to his knees. Kyoya is somehow managing to soothe down the trashing of his flame and Skull feels lightheaded with the intense sensation that creates.

And just a moment later, everything tips out of focus for a second, before snapping back into place, sharper than ever before. Kyoya sounds so, so distraught. And **loud**. "-Skull, can you hear me? Are you still there-" 

He takes a deep breath, sighing it out softly. "Kyoya. Baby, I'm here. Calm down. I got it now... I think... What just... Something..."

And that's the moment he registers that Oodako's been biting his fingers bloody. "Ow, shit-" 

At least, Kyoya sounds calmer again. "You need to get away from there. Now." 

Skull gently tugs Oodako away from his tender skin, shaking his injured hand and stumbling away from where familiar voices are calling his name still. Oodako has tears in his eyes and he feels a little bad. His Bestie must've been worried sick... So Skull quickly kisses the top of his partner's head. "Thanks you two... Ah, fuck..." 

The sting coming from his open injuries is rather grounding though, and just a few moments later, the voices finally fade enough that he's comfortable slowing down to a normal walking pace again.   
Oodako is already clinging to him with fierceness, so Skull gets ready for quite the smothering when his friend gets back to normal size. He was right. It a little difficult to talk when his face is full of octopus. "Ko-Gunna Go-" 

Kyoya just sounds vaguely concerned now. "What." 

He has to shake his head quite a bit for Oodako to get the memo, but eventually his friend moves down to snuggle his chest instead. "I said, I gotta go. Have a Circus to catch, yanno? I'm... Like 80% sure I got this. I will just... Hang up now?" 

Kyoya sighs softly and Skull is actually a little mad with Reborn for ruining the wonderful mood they had before. Stupid Sun... "Yeah, that's fine. Have fun, Niichan?" 

Somehow, Kyoya still manages to put a smile on his lips, even in this kind of situation. "Aw. You know it, babes. Have fun with that paperwork, won't you?" 

Kyoya just does this adorably little scoff, before hanging up on him. That last smile lingers for a bit, but...  
Well, Skull can't ignore the ache in his soul forever. It might just be surface level, but the place where, months ago, he ripped out those cursed bonds... That spot at the core of him is pretty much a gaping wound.

A wound that's... once again opened anew, raw, rather tender to the touch. Oodako's snuggling helps loads. And Kyoya already soothed over most of the ragged edges, but... Skull can't help feeling like like he dug out a piece of himself. It still **stings**... 

But hey, he's free now. He can do whatever he wants. Nobody can stop him.   
And if he wants to spend the first hour of his freedom, curled up on some random forest floor and crying his heart out...  
Well, who the hell is going to judge him for that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter is Skull meeting his old friends again!


	21. Returning home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull goes back to a place he used to call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upload schedule might end up a bit messy in the coming weeks, I'm going back to work next week and moving to my first own apartment as well~

The flashing lights, the upbeat music, sprawling masses of people, night owls surely, leaving the gigantic tent. Everything changed.  
Yet the same feeling still remained, still chased the ghost of a smile onto his lips. Nostalgia, perhaps? Or was it that same kind of wonder Skull felt the first time he laid eyes on the circus? 

Whatever it was, it soothes the ache at his core, just a little. Just enough that he is able to compose himself fully. He stands there, at the edge of the forest, resting one hand against some random tree, watching as the masses of civilains slowly ebb away. Eventually, the lights turn off. The place turns quiet. Today's show has truly come to an end. 

That's when he pushes off his tree and chases gravity down the little hill he was on, using his momentum to hop over the ditch that seperates grass from the parking lot.  
His jog slows to a leisurely walking pace then, his eyes tracing over the familiar, yet unfamiliar place. So much has changed. So many campavans were added. Yet some are still the same they used to be. 

In particular, this one.  
Same chipped, awful, purple paint job, same silly, spray painted title. The immortal Skull. It had been a joke at the time. Icy had a funky fresh sense of humor and, back then, Skull hadn't had a name of his own. But he had a whole goth theme going on and Spitfire was a sarcastic bastard with _fabulous_ ideas. 

God, how Skull misses them. 

And just for old time's sake, he hops on the little campavan, pushing aside the curtain-door easily and wandering in. And maybe he should've expected this but... It's the same.   
Nothing had been changed. It's still the empty, simplistic room Skull had spend a good two years of his life in. 

He probably should've been be overwhelmed by some kind of emotion but... The tears don't come. It feels a little odd. As though a part of him truly did die in that glorious explosion...   
But that's besides the point. He walks over to the bed, sitting down and dragging out his secret treasure chest.

Sure, on the surface, it's just a porn stash/box of sex-toys, but it's supposed to be that way. Sometimes, the best way to keep a secret, is to put it inside another secret. Especially if the secret you put it in tends to fluster every single person that might come across it.   
Skull just dumps the entire box on his bed, picking up one of the magazines and shaking it out. 

As predicted, out falls a little necklace and Skull stares at it for a while, just thinking. It's not a spectacular thing, really just a metal military dogtag, but Skull had hidden it here for a reason.  
It was important to him. Too important to keep on his person back when he went to train his flips with Icy and Spitfire that fateful night. 

He almost hesitates, but there is no reason to. In a roundabout way, the necklace is his, after all. Even if the name on it is only his by association.   
Skull picks it up after a long, silent moment, tracing his thumb over it and sighing softly. Oodako snuggles up under his chin, pinging a small, inquisitive noise over their telepathic connection. 

Skull presses a kiss to the top of Oodako's head, still tracing his thumb over the tag. "Ne, 'Dako... Do you remember back when we first met?" 

Oodako twists around lightly, looking up at him and blinking a bit. Apparently, he doesn't. Skull smiles down at his friend. "Back then I was in a gang, you know... What was it called... Aw, I don't remember." 

And that realization genuinely hurts. Twists his withered little heart just that much more and he looks down at the tag. He traces that name one last time, before closing his fist around it and smiling faintly. "It was some kind of Ocean preservation biker gang. We cleaned up beaches and... Infiltrated government facilities that hurt our oceans... And that's where we met. You were real little back then." 

Oodako is making big eyes up at him, curiosity almost overwhelming him and its familiar and safe and Skull hugs his Bestie gently, feeling just a little less alone. "I don't know if you remember him... But there was someone that was taking care of me, back then. Everyone just called him Rocky. And..." 

Skull has never told a soul of this. Not even the man in question and God, he wishes he did. Even if he'd just been a naive, bumbling, spoiled, 15 year old brat at the time, that man meant something to him. "He was... He was the father I never had... I... I loved him, 'Dako..." 

Now the tears return with a vengeance and Skull curls up around his friend, slightly tugging his legs closer to himself, curling up on his bed now. Oodako is tracing a tentacle on his shoulder and Skull very much appreciates it. "I... I loved him and-and he.... He gave me his helmet that one time, cuz-cuz I didn't have none and.... Oodako... Never, ever let anyone drive a bike without a helmet on. Never, never, never!" 

Oodako is a clever guy, he can guess the rest of the story from the fact that Skull is crying softly by now. And truly, this sucks. Skull had found someone he'd loved and yet fate had been cruel to him still. At the very least, Skull was managing a tiny, wobbly smile now too. "I... I'm still a brat."

And here, he manages to squeeze out a distressed, broken little giggle and its one of the saddest noises Oodako had ever heard from him. "I-I stole his name, 'Dako... Stole it and made it my own and... And I couldn't... After he died I... Everything just went downhill and I..." 

That's the moment a new, but vaguely familiar voice speaks up, lightly, as though they too, are struggling with intense emotion. "Was that when you came here... to us, Skull..?" 

And Skull hadn't felt them coming, but he'd never forget a voice that shouted his name with that much distress and desperation. Still, Icy'd changed. A lot. Its jarring and Skull can't deal with it.   
But they're all weirdos here. It's no wonder the first thing out his mouth ends up being something odd. "Your... You're talking so clear now, I've... I... God, I'm p-proud..." 

And that's what chases tears into their eyes and in the next moment, Skull finds himself wrapped up in a bone-crushing embrace.  
Icy had maintained their ripped physique and apparently, they'd stuck with tummy-free, glittery tanktops over the years. But the short shorts were switched for poofy pants and they grew out their hair. Still, they're a point of familiarity and it makes him sob even harder. 

The dog tag remains in his clenched fist, perhaps not acknowledge, but never forgotten. Engraved in the smudged, dented metal, two words were still clear. 

'Wang Cherep'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas is the time for family.  
> And I mean all families. Whether that's your friend group, or anyone you've ended up attaching yourself to. No matter where you've ended up finding your families, I hope you'll remember to give them your affections this year! 
> 
> And please, stay safe on the roads. Whether they are icy of not.


	22. Tearful Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are so many people Skull gets to love now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is something! Please enjoy!

Icy is probably crushing his rips at this point, but Skull doesn't mind. He's returning that favor by absolutely squishing their shoulders after all. And drenching them in snot and tears.  
They'd calmed down somewhat a while ago, just processing his existence at this point, but he's far from done with his emotions. 

Actually, there's more emotions yet to come, cause in that moment, Spitfire pushes aside the curtain, shotgun at the ready, only to then nearly drop it, her jade green eyes wide with shock. The distance between them seems insurmountable, yet, within seconds, Spitfire sprints across it. She too is overcome by emotions, but her emotions look different from Icy's. Even if she obviously feels something similar. 

Understandably, her first action is to pull Icy off of Skull. She tackles him into the bed and pulls her hand back, fury in her fiery eyes. Spitfire kindly gives him a second to brace himself, then her palm lands soundly across his cheek. And now she's tearing up and shrieking. "How fucking DARE you! Where have you been?!"

Skull takes the slap in stride, giving her a wobbly grin and spreading his arms. There's sobs clogging his throat, but he forces the stupid word out anyway. "M-mafia..."

Icy and Spitfire freeze for a moment, then theyre both on top of him, now full on bawling their eyes out, into his chest. Skull sniffs harshly himself, treading both his hands through the twins' hair.  
Spitfire has some grey streaks woven through her brilliantly red locks and Icy's platinum blonde hair has lost some of its luster. Both of them are gorgeous. 

While brushing some of their hair back, Skull feels a little plastic object on Icy's ear and he sniffles some more, before managing the words. "Hearing aids...?"

Icy manages a nod against his chest, heaving with sobs still, even as they giggle at his realization. They're rubbing their snot against his leather and that makes Skull frown just a little bit. He keeps petting them slowly anyways, trying to calm down his breathing.  
The ache in his chest lessens some more, thoughts of flaming almost-rainbows and everything those mean to him pushed to the very back of his mind. 

The twins fit right back into the holes they'd left in his heart. He's missed them so, so much. Skull presses kisses into both of their hair, breathing slowly now. There's still tears blinking out of his eyes, but that's fine. He doesn't expect that to stop anytime soon anyways. He just wants to be able to talk. "There was mafia and... And... That guy that.... Yeah..." 

Okay, those were almost sentences. He has to swallow thickly a few times until he can speak properly. He hushes the words into someone's hair, closing his eyes to focus on speaking then. "That guy back then was mafia... He... He caught me and... Put me in a mafia group..." 

Spitfire is already growling through her tears and he appreciates the rage. Really, he does. Skull has never been comfortable expressing anger himself, but watching someone else get furious in his place.... It's soothing, somehow. He continues quietly. "That group was shit... They just.... A lot happened there... But mainly, I got... C-cursed..." 

The memory of that day almost makes him taste bile and he bites his lip before continuing. When did he start shaking like this? His voice breaks on the words. "I was t-turned into a-an infant..." 

Everything comes crashing down and he's in pieces. Nothing will ever fix him. Skull was irreversibly **broken** that day. Something vital in him **cracked** when he lost that last shred of his freedom.  
He's sobbing again. "F-Fuck-! I-I was trapped like that! I was goddamn _stagnant_ for 35 years, you two! I-I couldn't move-I couldn't-couldn't even go places I wanted to be! I couldn't do nothing and I missed you and I couldn't go nowhere!" 

He's probably wailing at this point, his breath coming in short rasps, coughing every now and then, but all this heartache needed somewhere to go. And right here? Tucked underneath and held down by the weight of two of his most precious people? This is as good a place as any.  
Spitfire sounds heartbroken, brushing a hand through his hair and sniffling harshly. She speaking, but it sounds distant to his ears. "We got you Skully ... It's fine..."

She tucks her head under his chin and Icy pops up, wiping their eyes with the heel of their hand. It's a little unusual, hearing them speak this smoothly, but Skull is welcoming that change with open arms. They have the most beautiful voice, all light and soft. "You're home, Skull... You're really home-" 

They're sobbing again and Skull is right there with them, whimpering at that realization. He pulls them both closer, sobbing into their hair now. "I... I'm home..." 

And he is. This is home. It's where he belongs, truly.  
Even if, when he closes his eyes, he catches a glimpse of grey eyes and black hair. Even if, for a split second, for just one moment in between these seemingly endless tears, he remembers a certain tune, hummed pleasantly and warmth pulses through him.

To Skull, home has always been the people he loves. And no matter what happens, in spite of every single torment he's endured in his life, home has always chased a smile onto his lips.  
He wipes his tears, giggling wetly and looking down at his teary eyed friends. He gives them a lopsided grin, scrubbing the tears out of one of his eyes. "Spitfire... Icy... I need a make over."

He's met with feral grins of approval and even that makes him think of a certain, lonesome prefect in a small, unimportant town in Japan. Spitfire huffs out a breath. "Let's do this." 

Truly, to them, it's a treat to give their poor friend a makeover. Never changing for 35 years? Sounds horrible. 

_It's about time for a huge change!_

~~~

Skull had been declared dead just three days ago. The Crash happened just hours after Enma had last talked to him.  
He'd known Skull was going off to do something stupid, but he'd believed that Cloud's promise. He trusted him when Skull said he would check up with them within the week.

Enma had trusted Skull and that trust had been betrayed. And maybe he was a little furious about that. Or hurt. The emotions are blending together. Everything just feels bad and sickening. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't even eaten since the news were announced to the world yesterday. And for once, he feels suffocated under the watchful eyes of his Family. 

There is one way to get them off his case for a while though. They always respected his grief, so at least in the graveyard, he can catch a few moments to just be by himself. He sat down by their graves, brushing his fingertips over the edge Skull had scrubbed clean of moss not even a week ago. 

Enma somewhat blames himself. It's absurd, but the mind works weird like that. He was one of many, it seems.  
He looked up to the weakest Arcobaleno. He adored him. Many people did. Yet that man was perhaps the most mistreated Arcobaleno of all time. Shunned, looked down upon, abused at every corner... 

Enma loved Skull. Like a dear friend. Or a big brother. Skull was family. And he never told him so.  
Skull passed over into the afterlife, perhaps never knowing he was the most adored and beloved person in the entirety of the Mafia's Underground. 

Thinking about it just burns. Like some ancient thing dug into his soul and tore him open.  
It was as if Enma was a small flame, thrown overboard into a trashing ocean. Extinguished that easily under the grief of every other person that claims to have loved Skull so much more than him.  
It's suffocating him, but here, he can cry in peace at least. 

Or so he thought. Quiet footsteps approach him in his solitude, almost imperceptible when they step on grass to reach him. Enma couldn't be bothered to kill them, but their sheer audacity makes him raise his flame.  
He's met with a familiar, soothing Cloud flame, hesitant, but kind and soft to the touch. The voice that speaks is so damn familiar and his heart aches. "Hey now. I come here to see you and this is the thanks I get? Meanie~" 

Enma's eyes snap open and he stares at the person standing there in front of him. It's not... Who he expected. It takes him a moment to see the faint similarities.  
The woman's mauve eyes are the same shape and there is still a brotherly warmth in them.  
Her cherry red lips curve gracefully, but then she laughs and grins and it's crooked in that all too familiar way.  
And the black hair curling on her shoulders shimmers dark, dark red, as though the bright neon purple was desperately screaming through it. 

Putting aside the different eye colour, haircolour, body shape and aura, that is Skull in all his glory.  
Enma can't believe the fucking audacity. It's all so fucking absurd, the only thing he can get out is. "What the fuck." 

And, in true Skull fashion, the gorgeous woman before him pouts and waggles a finger at him. "That's no way to talk to a lady, Enma-kun." 

She puts her hands on her hips for a moment, before grinning again, her eyes incredibly soft and spreading her arms to him. "I came to deliver a hug?" 

Enma didn't even have time to think about whether those curves are real or not. He just crashed into those open arms and _finally_ let himself cry.  
He feels his hair brushed back and Skull presses a kiss to the top of his head, wrapping him in a secure embrace. "I'm sorry. I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." 

And... Maybe its time he's more honest with the people around him. "I... I love you Skull. Never scare me like that again..."

He... Maybe could've worded that better. Thank God Skull takes it in stride, giggling into his hair and squeezing him a bit tighter. "I know. You didn't have to tell me. I already know. I do. I love you too, Enma."

Enma rubs his tears away as best he can, huffing and glaring up at the mauve eyed beauty. Skull grins at him, cheeky. "Don't make it weird." 

And Skull laughs, still the same, yet incredibly different and somehow Enma is a little angry with that. Then Skull ruffles his hair, gives him a warm smile and maybe Enma can forgive him. Just a little. "I mean it. You're like... the son I never had. That's the way I love you." 

............

_Fucking Skull and his fucking ways of stealing people's hearts!_

~~~~

Kyoya expected his brother to come home with his new make over already in place. Obviously, Skull would only enter Namimori with that all dealt with.  
What he didn't entirely expect was seven kittens, the entirety of the Shimon Familia, Skull's Carcassa subordinates and a whole Circus to come wandering in after Skull. Now everyone is giving him huge, lost puppy eyes. 

This was some kind of extreme crowding.  
Absolutely unacceptable.  
The mansion is way to small for all these people to even stand in the hallway! 

Then Skull gives him an unsure, wobbly smile and Kyoya levels him a flat glare in return. "What did you expect me to do? I'm not letting in any of your weird friends." 

And Skull pokes his fingers together, pitching his voice high, sounding perfectly feminine. Kyoya is actually impressed. Not everyone can pull that of this seamlessly. "I was thinking... You could... Um... That underground base you've been working on... I just..." 

And now Skull is giving him puppy eyes and, just to seal the deal, fucking _Adelheid_ drops a three legged kitten into Skull's arms, so now two pairs of eyes are staring at him, filled with hope and trust and- **UGH!**

This is going to be a headache and a half and he already knows he'll have to absolutely stock up on painkillers. At least a year's worth for the first month. Kyoya blows out a breath between his teeth and it sounds like a hiss, but Skull is already starting to smile and maybe this won't be that bad. ".... Fine. Not the HQ. There's a group of abandoned houses down the street. Put them there. Now get the hell off of my property, or I'll bite you to death." 

Admittedly, it's hard to pull off a threatening look when he's being smothered in hugs by his brother-or sister? But judging by the fact all of these herbivores immediately backed away, turned tail and ran for their lives...  
Kyoya's still got it. Then Skull presses a little kiss to his cheek and nuzzle him there and Kyoya casts one last glance around, before reluctantly returning the hug. 

Nobody is here to watch them, except a box full of kittens, so Kyoya allows himself to nuzzle his sibling back closely. _".... Welcome home, Niichan."_

Skull is already crying again, but he's also smiling and it's warm and maybe there is a chance for them to heal after all. _"I'm home, Kyoya."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Embers Underwater! It's been a trip and a half and don't worry! This series is continuing onwards! I've gotten way too attached to this AU, so I'm sticking with it for a while!
> 
> Next part of the series will be called **Systemic Disorder**!  
> It'll focus on Skull and all the shenanigans he'll get up to before his trickery is exposed!  
> It'll also focus more on the grief of the Arcobaleno. Cause ain't none of them dealing even remotely well with losing one of their own. 😅
> 
> Thank you all for this amazing experience! Hope to see you soon in the next Part of this glorious mess! 💜☁️💜☁️💜☁️💜

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos they are the biggest motivation to keep writing! 💞


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